Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Property Services and Development

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Property Services and Development which sought approval for acceptance of PSDS grant funding of c£6m to support the delivery of energy efficiency retrofit measures on public buildings owned and operated by Coventry City Council.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). The Grant Scheme will allocate £1bn of grant funding to encourage green investment aligning with the Government’s Net Zero and clean growth goals. The Grant Scheme is available for up to 100% of costs for capital energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects within public sector non-domestic buildings. The funding is available until 11th January 2021 with delivery of projects required by no later than 30th September 2021.

An initial pipeline of eligible projects, with a combined estimated pre-tender value of up to £6m, has been identified that could be delivered under this grant scheme. CCC has submitted this pipeline of projects to the PSDS for consideration in principle. If accepted, CCC would then move onto the next stage of obtaining firm costs for the projects. These would need to be submitted by the end of November with the final grant award expected in early December.

Within the project pipeline there are two major procurements proposed, one for Low Carbon Heating solutions and one for Battery Storage solutions. Both of these contracts would potentially be greater than £1m in value. The remaining projects can be delivered using existing internal services or term contractors.

The report provided details of the projects proposed.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:-

1)  Approves the proposal for the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Works with a value of £6m as set out in the report (“the Project”)

2)  Approves the proposal to spend the grant award on the delivery of the   Project as set out in the report.

3)   Approves the conclusion of any necessary procurement exercises and following completion, to award such contracts to the preferred supplier.

4)   Requests that officers continue to pursue further funding opportunities that may be offered to support further decarbonisation of Coventry’s public buildings in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration.

That Cabinet recommends that Council:

5)  Approves the proposal for the Council to act as Accountable Body and, if the Council’s grant bid is successful, the acceptance of the PSDS grant funding offer from Salix Finance Ltd to support delivery of the Project.

6)   Delegates authority to the Director of Finance and the Director of Project Services and Development following consultation with Director of Law and Governance to finalise the terms and conditions of the PSDS grant and any other legal agreements required to facilitate delivery of the Project, and incorporate the awarded grant within the approved Capital Programme as necessary.