Issue - meetings

To receive a report by the Head of Environmental Management on new guidance for Local Authorities on the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) and the delivery of the Green Deal in Huntingdonshire.

Agreed that further work be undertaken by Officers of the Environment Team, in conjunction with Officers from other Cambridgeshire Authorities, to develop an outline business case for an action plan to deliver the procurement of a joint local authority Green Deal offering for Cambridgeshire and requested Officers to present the outline business case, once completed, to Members for consideration including a full appraisal of the work streams and resources required to procure and deliver a green deal scheme for Cambridgeshire.

A report by the Head of Environment Management was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking the Cabinet's view on the content of guidance produced by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change requiring all local authorities with housing responsibility to prepare reports by 31st March 2013 setting out plans to implement practical, cost effective energy conservation measures to achieve significant improvements in the energy efficiency of residential accommodation in their areas.

In considering the information contained in the report, Executive Councillors' attention was drawn to the Government's flagship environmental initiative the "Green Deal".  The initiative would provide householders with up-front loan finance for installing cost effective energy efficiency measures in their homes and would be available for commercial and public buildings.

Members noted that about 70% of Huntingdonshire’s housing stock was likely to have some potential for green deal measures.  Having acknowledged the benefits of working in partnership with commercial Green Deal providers and community partners to facilitate and deliver a local scheme, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)  that further work be undertaken by Officers of the Environment Team, in conjunction with Officers from other Cambridgeshire Authorities, to develop an outline business case for an action plan to deliver the procurement of a joint local authority Green Deal offering for Cambridgeshire; and

  (b)  that Officers be requested to present the outline business case, once completed, to Members for consideration including a full appraisal of the work streams and resources required to procure and deliver a green deal scheme for Cambridgeshire.

To consider a report by the Head of Environmental Management on new guidance for Local Authorities on the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) and the delivery of the Green Deal in Huntingdonshire.

(Councillor D M Tysoe, Executive Councillor for the Environment, was in attendance for this item)

Councillor D M Tysoe introduced a report by the Head of Environmental Management (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) on the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 and the delivery of the Green Deal in Huntingdonshire. He emphasised the importance of the Green Deal and that the preferred option to deliver it locally would enable the Council to offer its expertise and the data it held on premises that could benefit from home energy efficiency measures to commercial providers.

Members expressed the view that the Council had a good reputation which could be tarnished if work undertaken as part of a scheme it supported was not of an adequate standard. To this end the Panel suggested that safeguards should be put in place to guarantee the standard of work by suppliers.  Furthermore, on the basis of recent experiences reported by Councillor C R Hyams, Members emphasised that the Council’s partner companies should employ acceptable sales practices.  The Panel was assured that these matters would be addressed through a procurement exercise to identify partners, which would establish a single scheme for Cambridgeshire with acceptable sales methods and effective products. 

Members recommended that option two of those identified in paragraph 3.3 of the report was adopted.  This meant that the Council would work in partnership with Green Deal providers and community partners to deliver and facilitate the delivery of the Green Deal.  The Council’s role in this arrangement would be to provide leads for potential customers to be followed up by providers.  The Council would benefit through the receipt of referral fees. It was estimated that this could produce an income in the order of £150k per annum.  Attention was also drawn to the potential to bring in top-up grant funding through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which equated to £1.3bn per annum to be invested by the major energy companies to cover a combination of more expensive measures and the delivery of affordable warmth to priority householders who might be suffering from fuel poverty.

The Panel further recommended that once the scheme started to operate, details of accredited partners should be published on the Council’s website. It was also suggested that feedback on providers was sought and monitored to ensure satisfactory services were maintained.  This would ensure that members of the public received acceptable services and would protect the Council’s reputation.

Having regard to the County Council’s involvement in the scheme, Members noted that although it would operate County-wide, only District Councils, being authorities with housing responsibilities, would be party to the scheme.  However, the County Council would be involved by providing procurement expertise.  Furthermore, the Green Deal was most appropriate for housing and not suitable for County Council assets, such as schools.  This position would be confirmed at the forthcoming meeting of the Making Assets Count Board.

RESOLVED

  that the Cabinet be recommended

(a)  to authorise Officers of the Environment Team (in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27