Agenda item

To receive a Briefing Note from the Executive Director of Place

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) received a briefing note of the Executive Director of Place that provided Members with an update on the activities, challenges and opportunities of the Sustainability Teams.

The Briefing Note outlined the activities and achievements of the Fuel Poverty Team; Energy Management Team; Low Carbon Team; and Business Sustain Team, and highlighted the changes to National Policies and Schemes in the past 12 months and the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Coventry had been recognised as number one in the league table of English cities for reducing citywide carbon emissions. Each resident’s carbon footprint had dropped by almost a third from 6.9 tonnes to 4.9 tonnes between 2008 and 2013, and the Authority had reduced the council’s carbon emissions by 27% in five years. The City was number one in the Knauf local authority energy index for effective energy management within the council and the wider city, and was a finalist in the Energy and Environment Awards in two categories: environmental leadership and communications campaigns in May 2015 and a finalist in Business Green Leaders Awards for employee engagement campaign in July 2015. Coventry was also the winner of Gold Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice in November 2015. However, despite these successes they were the sixth highest level of fuel poverty in England with 15.9% of homes fuel poor and some areas 43%.

The Board questioned officers and discussed the following issues:

·  More detail on the work of the Teams

·  The current position with Heatline, connectivity to Friargate, capacity and Coventry University

·  Pre-paid meters and links to fuel poverty.

·  Details on the scheme in Nottingham where the council have set up their own energy supply company to address the issue of the tariffs for pre-paid meters.

The Board requested that the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment include information on how the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is supporting businesses in carbon reduction, when he reports on the work of the LEP at the meeting of the Board on 27th January 2016. The Board also requested information on the consultation with OfGem on the reforms on pre-payment meters, if timescales allow.

Members congratulated the Sustainability Teams on their achievements and the awards they had received and supported the continuation of this valuable work.

RESOLVED that the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3):

1)  Notes the achievements, challenges and opportunities.

2)  The following recommendations be forwarded to the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment:

The Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment is requested to:

i)  Agree that the Council forges closer links to Public Health and Clinical Commissioning Groups to tackle fuel poverty.

ii)   Investigate the possible support that can be given to residents in fuel poverty, to help them install energy efficiency measures, where they are unable to contribute to the cost.

iii)  Ensure that future development in the city centre is capable of connection to the existing Heatline infrastructure.

iv)  Explore the feasibility of setting up a local authority owned energy supply company, similar to RobinHood Energy owned by Nottingham City Council.

v)  Inform the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) on progress on these recommendations in the next Municipal Year.