Agenda item

Report of the Director of Business, Investment and Culture

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Business, Investment and Culture that sought approval for acceptance of Sustainable Warmth Competition grant funding of c.£2.18 million to support the retrofit of energy efficiency measures for low income and low Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rated residential households within the City.

The Midlands Energy Hub (MEH) was successful in a regional bid to the Sustainable Warmth Competition (SWC) from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). A proportion of this funding was notionally allocated to Coventry City Council for which approval is now being sought to accept. Subject to acceptance, Coventry City Council’s allocation would be c.£2.18 million (£1,908,500 to be spent on Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Phase 3 for on gas properties and £275,000 to be spent on Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) Phase 1 for off gas properties). Neither required any local match contribution from the Council. Following Cabinet approval, full project development plans would be created, with delivery of the scheme to be completed by March 2023.

The SWC was available for up to 100% of both capital and revenue costs associated with its delivery. The SWC would support and complement the existing ‘Keeping Coventry Warm’ scheme that had been operating in Coventry for several years, in addition to building on the previous Green Home Grant schemes that the Council was already part-way through delivering. 

The funding was essential to support some of the most vulnerable residents in the community to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce the levels of fuel poverty across the City. This would in turn lead to:

1)  Reduction in Coventry’s domestic carbon emissions.

2)  Reduction in health-related morbidity and mortality associated with living in cold homes.

3)  Reduced demand placed on health and care services.

4)  Improved energy efficiency for the homes supported, reducing their energy bills and increasing thermal comfort.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

1)  Approves the acceptance of c.£2.18 million pounds of the Sustainable Warmth Competition grant funding from the Midlands Energy Hub to deliver a scheme of domestic retrofit measures to fuel poor and low-income households in Coventry as set out in this report.

2)  Delegates authority to the Director of Business, Investment and Culture, following consultation with the Chief Operating Officer (Section 151 Officer) and the Director of Law and Governance, to undertake the necessary due diligence, finalise the terms and conditions of the Sustainable Warmth Competition grant, and enter into any legal agreements required to facilitate delivery of the project.

3)  Requests that officers continue to pursue further funding opportunities that may be offered to support further decarbonisation of the City’s residential buildings, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change and the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources. This includes but is not limited to, further GHG LAD Schemes and further waves of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

4)  If further grant funding opportunities are secured, delegates authority to the Chief Operating Officer Officer (Section 151 Officer), following consultation with the Director of Business, Investment and Culture, the Director of Law and Governance, the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change and the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources, to undertake the necessary due diligence, finalise the terms and conditions of the grant and enter into any legal agreements required to facilitate delivery of each project up to a maximum amount of £2.5 million pounds.