Issue - meetings

AGREED that Cabinet:

a)       endorse the project plan and accept receipt of grant funding of £1.306m from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which will be drawn down in arrears; and

b)       approve an increase in the Capital Programme of £458,106 in 2023/24 and £676,235 in 2024/25 equivalent to the Capital grant due which is the match funding being provided by the Council.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing presented a report which provided the business case behind applying in October 2022 to the governments Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund for a grant to replace oil heating systems with air source heat pumps systems for 102 council owned properties.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund project offered the opportunity to kick start the decarbonisation of social housing stock, improve properties thermal comfort whilst also reducing the costs for tenants in heating their homes. The Council has been successful in securing just under £1.3m grant, a mixture of Revenue and Capital funding, to commence in April 2023.

The proposal targeted 102 Council owned homes with oil heating, to be upgraded to air source heating system, solar photovoltaic panels (PV) and a battery. Commercially sensitive financial figures were set out in an exempt appendix to the report.

The Cabinet welcomed the report and this acceleration of decarbonisation.

AGREED      (unanimously) that Cabinet:

a)            endorse the project plan and accept receipt of grant funding of £1.306m from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which will be drawn down in arrears; and

b)            approve an increase in the Capital Programme of £458,106 in 2023/24 and £676,235 in 2024/25 equivalent to the Capital grant due which is the match funding being provided by the Council.

Reasons for Decision:

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund provides 50% grant funding for 102 of the Council’s housing to have carbon neutral and lower cost-effective heating for tenants who currently have oil boiler heating systems. It meets both Community Plan objectives to create better homes as a landlord and improve tenants wellbeing by reducing fuel poverty and contributing to reducing carbon emissions.

Options Considered:

As detailed in the report, there were no viable alternatives and taking no action would make it harder for the Council to meet the Government requirements on Energy Performance Certificates and decarbonisation of social housing stock.