Agenda item

The Director of Housing, Economy and Regeneration to present a report which provides an update on works to reduce carbon emissions within the housing sector in York and the sub-region, and seeks approval to procure a new retrofit delivery partner to undertake improvement works, and to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations to support York becoming an International Centre of Excellence on High Performance Buildings.

Resolved:  (i)      That the progress in securing funding under the LAD1B and LAD 2 rounds of the programme, including the challenges and risks associated with delivering works utilising short term funding and the progress in drafting an energy efficiency strategy document, be noted.

                   (ii)      That the offer of additional grant funding of £2,380k under the LAD 3 funding round be noted.

                   (iii)     That the submission of a grant application for £280k under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund be noted and, and if it is successful, that authority to accept this grant offer be delegated to the Director of Housing, Economy and Regeneration in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods.

                   (iv)    That approval be given to use £353k of the approved £2m HRA Energy Efficiency Capital Programme budget to match fund the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund grant (if successful), in order to deliver retrofit works to around 28 of the least energy efficient council houses.

(v)     That the use of £440k of HRA investment to match fund LAD 2 grant funding to deliver solar PV installations on up to 50 council homes be noted.

(vi)    That approval be given to procure a new retrofit delivery partner to undertake improvement works in accordance with the grant offers under the LAD3 and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (if successful), and that authority be delegated 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).

(vii)    That approval be given to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations to support York becoming an International Centre of Excellence on High Performance Buildings.

Reason:     In order to tackle fuel poverty and to meet the ambition of York being carbon neutral by 2030, both reducing energy demand through building fabric upgrades and switching to low carbon/renewable forms of heating and energy generation across all tenures.

The Corporate Director of Place and the Head of Housing Delivery & Asset Management presented a report which provided an update on works to reduce carbon emissions within the housing sector in York and the sub-region, following the launch of the Housing Energy Efficiency Programme in December 2020 and a number of successful grant applications. 

The report gave an update on projects currently under way to deliver energy efficiency improvements across all housing tenures, along with opportunities for using additional grant funding for further retrofit works to reduce carbon emissions and fuel poverty.  Members’ approval was sought to procure a new retrofit delivery partner to undertake improvement works, and to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations to support York becoming an International Centre of Excellence on High Performance Buildings.  The MoU was attached at Annex 1.

In response to matters raised under Public Participation, officers pointed out that no legal obligations were attached to the MoU.  In supporting the proposals, the Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods commended officers for their work on securing grants and noted that being an International Centre of Excellence was about exchanging research, experience and learning as a vital part of rising to the challenge of climate change. 

Resolved:  (i)      That the progress in securing funding under the LAD1B and LAD 2 rounds of the programme, including the challenges and risks associated with delivering works utilising short term funding and the progress in drafting an energy efficiency strategy document, be noted.

                   (ii)      That the offer of additional grant funding of £2,380k under the LAD 3 funding round be noted.

                   (iii)     That the submission of a grant application for £280k under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund be noted and, and if it is successful, that authority to accept this grant offer be delegated to the Director of Housing, Economy and Regeneration in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods.

                   (iv)    That approval be given to use £353k of the approved £2m HRA Energy Efficiency Capital Programme budget to match fund the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund grant (if successful), in order to deliver retrofit works to around 28 of the least energy efficient council houses.

(v)     That the use of £440k of HRA investment to match fund LAD 2 grant funding to deliver solar PV installations on up to 50 council homes be noted.

(vi)    That approval be given to procure a new retrofit delivery partner to undertake improvement works in accordance with the grant offers under the LAD3 and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (if successful), and that authority be delegated 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).

(vii)    That approval be given to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations to support York becoming an International Centre of Excellence on High Performance Buildings.

Reason:     In order to tackle fuel poverty and to meet the ambition of York being carbon neutral by 2030, both reducing energy demand through building fabric upgrades and switching to low carbon/renewable forms of heating and energy generation across all tenures.