Decision details

Purpose of Report: To provide an update to the Executive Member on our BEIS Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) submission and retrofit action plan for energy efficiency measures and retrofit action plan.

The Executive Member is asked to note the progress to date, and subject to receiving further funding the decision to procure a new supply chain partner.

Resolved: That the following be noted and approved:

                 i.   The offer of grant funding of £343k under the BEIS’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which alongside Housing Revenue Account (HRA) funding will deliver retrofit works to 28 council homes.

                ii.   The further offer of grant funding under the BEIS’s Home Upgrade Grant (“HUG”) scheme. The grant of £497k will enable the council and its consortia partners of Harrogate Borough Council, Selby District Council and Craven District Council to support homeowners living in homes not connected to the mains gas network, to benefit from the installation of much needed energy efficiency measures.

               iii.   The current Energy Company Obligation statement will be amended in order to maximise the benefits of the funding streams when the new scheme launches in the new financial year.   

              iv.   The procurement of a new retrofit delivery partner to undertake improvement works in accordance with the grant offers under the HUG programme with delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Place (in consultation with the Director of Governance and S151 Officer) to take such steps as are necessary to procure, award and enter into the resulting final contract(s). This programme of works will be added to the existing procurement of a partner to deliver works under LAD3 and SHDF in line with previous Executive approvals.

                v.   The progress and the proposed timetable of the Housing Retrofit Action Plan, including the commissioning of two key pieces of research which will form the evidence base for the council’s approach to retrofit in the city.

              vi.   The proposal to undertake further due diligence around  “comfort charges” in order to improve the energy efficiency of our residents homes alongside generating a revenue stream to support further investment in retrofit works within council homes.

             vii.   The proposal to undertake further heat pump programme feasibility analysis, including consideration of the key deployment issues highlighted.

Reason: To tackle fuel poverty and to support our ambition of York being carbon neutral by 2030 by improving the energy performance of some of our poorer performing council homes to both reduce residents’ energy bills and to reduce energy demand as well as switching to greener forms of energy across all tenures.

            viii.   The changes to the Housing Standards and Adaptations Team, including the change of service name to Healthy and Sustainable Homes Service.

Reason:  To reflect the focus of the council to provide a range of services aimed at helping residents remain healthy, safe and warm in their own homes.