Issue - meetings

The Panel is invited to comment on and note the contents of the report.

Executive Councillor: L Davenport-Ray

By means of a report by the Interim Place Strategy and Climate Lead (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Local Area Energy Plan 2025/26 Report was presented to the Panel.

In response to a question from Councillor Alban, the Panel heard that conversations were open and ongoing with the Environment Agency to maximise community energy opportunities such as the identified community hydro electric project at Little Paxton.

Councillor Pitt echoed Councillor Albans thoughts and voiced his support for community renewable energy projects, acknowledging that these projects were particularly complex thus resulting in difficulty maintaining drive to see projects through to fruition. Councillor Davenport-Ray advised that recent updates would see a gradual change in new builds and hoped that continued support and improvements would strengthen the 2045 target achievability.

Councillor Lowe reflected on her experience with retrofit projects in older buildings and the Panel heard that work was being undertaken to improve this experience.

Following a question from Councillor Shaw, the Panel heard that grants such as the Warm Homes Upgrade Grant and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme were in place to assist in retrofitting older properties.

In response to an observation from Councillor Hunt linking fuel poverty with older buildings, the Panel heard that the joint administration were using their position to influence the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to support rural communities in fuel inefficiencies.