Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Assistant Director Housing and Contracts.

Scrutiny Committee – Community considered the report at its meeting on 5 March 2013 and comments will be reported.

(Report circulated)

(Minute 31)

The report of the Assistant Director Housing and Contracts was submitted, seeking approval for undertaking energy saving works on the housing stock.

Scrutiny Committee – Community considered the report at their meeting of 5 March and their comments and support were noted.

Members welcomed the proposed measures to further improve the condition of the Council’s housing assets whilst reducing carbon emissions and potentially decreasing energy costs for tenants.  They considered the proposed works would be of benefit to tenants and the environment and would raise awareness of energy use as well as reducing consumption.

Executive agreed to commit:

(1)        the allocated Energy works budget for 2013/14, any under-spend from the 2012/13 budget, Feed In Tarriff (FIT) payments and any grant income received from energy efficiency works to install photovoltaic arrays to as many properties at Hawthorn Road as possible, in conjunction with the re-roofing programme;

(2)        £40,000 from a combination of existing budgets to undertake a trial retro-fit to improve thermal efficiency at two properties identified at Shakespeare Road; and

(3)        £31,200 from the Communal Areas budget for upgrading the window glass on 48 flats, in conjunction with the external rendering programme works.

The report of the Assistant Director Housing and Contracts was submitted, seeking approval for undertaking energy saving works on the housing stock.

Scrutiny Committee – Community considered the report at its meeting of 5 March and the comments and support of members were noted.

Members welcomed the proposed measures to further improve the condition of the Council’s housing assets whilst reducing carbon emissions and potentially decreasing energy costs for tenants.  They considered the proposed works would be of benefit to tenants and the environment and would raise awareness of energy use as well as reducing consumption.

RESOLVED to commit:

(1)        the allocated Energy works budget for 2013/14, any under-spend from the 2012/13 budget, Feed In Tariff (FIT) payments and any grant income received from energy efficiency works to install photovoltaic arrays to as many properties at Hawthorn Road as possible, in conjunction with the re-roofing programme;

(2)        £40,000 from a combination of existing budgets to undertake a trial retro-fit to improve thermal efficiency at two properties identified at Shakespeare Road; and

(3)        £31,200 from the Communal Areas budget for upgrading the window glass on 48 flats, in conjunction with the external rendering programme works.

(Report circulated)

To consider the report of the Assistant Director Housing and Contracts – report circulated

The Assistant Director Housing and Contracts presented the report seeking approval for undertaking energy saving works on the housing stock.

She provided further detail on the costs of the PV panels and, in response to a Member’s concern at the £40,000 cost for a retro-fit trial at two properties in Shakespeare Road, it was explained that the intention was to test a range of measures with view to introduction across the stock. It would be funded from within existing budgets and it was likely that some grant funding would be available. A Member welcomed the evidence based approach to these proposals.

Scrutiny Committee - Community supported the report and requested Executive to commit:-

(1)        the allocated Energy works budget for 2013/14, any under-spend from the 2012/13 budget, Feed In Tariff (FIT) payments and any grant income received from energy efficiency works to the installation of photovoltaic arrays to as many properties in Hawthorn Road as possible, in conjunction with the re-roofing programme;

(2)        £40,000 from a combination of existing budgets to undertake a trial retro-fit to improve thermal efficiency at two properties identified at Shakespeare Road; and

(3)        £31,200 from the Communal Areas budget for upgrading the window glass on 48 flats, in conjunction with the external rendering programme works.

(Report circulated)