Issue - meetings

It was resolved to:

A    Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Place and Connectivity to work with the Chair of ESC to evaluate the engagement evidence and outcome of the risk assessment and to conclude whether to submit an Expression of Interest as the application timeline requires decision between committee dates

B    Approve for ‘the GSENZ Hub to apply on behalf of local authorities in the GSENZ Hub consortia to deliver the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme’.

A    Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Place and Connectivity to work with the Chair of ESC to evaluate the engagement evidence and outcome of the risk assessment and to conclude whether to submit an Expression of Interest as the application timeline requires decision between committee dates

B    Approve for ‘the GSENZ Hub to apply on behalf of local authorities in the GSENZ Hub consortia to deliver the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme’.

To approve GSENZH to apply for and deliver the Warmer Homes – Local Grant scheme across a consortia of Local Authorities in the GSENZH area using capital grant funding from DESNZ over a 3-5 year period.

RESOLVED:

A.    i) To note the national issues with delivery of previous retrofit schemes that the GSENZ Hub have delivered, the reputational and financial risk to the CPCA and the GSENZ Hub.

ii) To agree to the GSENZ Hub undertaking a prompt engagement exercise with the Hub Board and consortia members alongside a risk assessment to inform a final decision whether to submit an expression of interest as the Contracting Authority and Accountable Body for the new Government’s Warm Homes: Local Grant.

B.    To recommend to the CA Board to delegate authority to the Executive Director of Place and Connectivity to work with the Chair of ESC to evaluate the engagement evidence and outcome of the risk assessment and to conclude whether to submit an Expression of Interest as the application timeline requires decision between committee dates.

C.    To recommend to the CA Board that the ‘GSENZ Hub is approved to apply on behalf of local authorities in the GSENZ Hub consortia to deliver the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme’. On the condition that the outcome from recommendations A & B concludes this is the appropriate decision and to report this decision back to the CA Board

Maxine Narburgh, Regional Director GSE Net Zero Hub introduced the report which outlined a proposed approach to determine whether the GSENZ Hub through the CPCA should act as Contracting Authority and Accountable Body for a consortium of local authorities in the GSE region.

During discussion the following points were noted:

a)    The Chair asked that Action on Energy Cambridgeshire and Local Advice Energy Partnership – Peterborough (LAEP) be included on the work programme and invited to update the Committee on the Warm Homes project.

b)    Members emphasised the need to upscale efforts to adapt to the new government's initiatives and acknowledged the limitation of the current HUG scheme.

RESOLVED:

On being proposed by the Chair and seconded by Cllr Day the Environment and Sustainable Communities Committee resolved, with 4 in favour and 2 abstentions, to:

A.    i) Note the national issues with delivery of previous retrofit schemes that the GSENZ Hub have delivered, the reputational and financial risk to the CPCA and the GSENZ Hub.

ii) Agree to the GSENZ Hub undertaking a prompt engagement exercise with the Hub Board and consortia members alongside a risk assessment to inform a final decision whether to submit an expression of interest as the Contracting Authority and Accountable Body for the new Government’s Warm Homes: Local Grant.

B.    Recommend to the CA Board to delegate authority to the Executive Director of Place and Connectivity to work with the Chair of ESC to evaluate the engagement evidence and outcome of the risk assessment and to conclude whether to submit an Expression of Interest as the application timeline requires decision between committee dates.

C.   Recommend to the CA Board that the ‘GSENZ Hub is approved to apply on behalf of local authorities in the GSENZ Hub consortia to deliver the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme’. On the condition that the outcome from recommendations A & B concludes this is the appropriate decision and to report this decision back to the CA Board.

ACTION:

1.    Officers to invite Action on Energy Cambridgeshire and Local Advice Energy Partnership – Peterborough (LAEP) to a future meeting of the Committee to provide an update on the Warm Homes project