Housing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes 2024-25 Award of Funding CaH 20 08 24
Renfrewshire Council · 20 August 2024
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 20 August 2024 and its agenda
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 20 August 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Housing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2024/25 Award of Funding ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Renfrewshire Council has been allocated up to £2,061,138 for qualifying projects under the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland Area Based Schemes (EES: ABS) programme for 2024/25. 1.2 The report updates members on the funding application that has been submitted and the projects which will be supported, subject to formal confirmation of award of funding from Scottish Government. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 Notes the allocation of up to £2,061,138 funding from the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficiency Scotland Area Based Schemes programme and the projects submitted for funding. 2.2 Authorises the Head of Housing Services to accept the funding of up to £2,061,138 on receipt of formal offer of grant from Scottish Government’s Energy Efficiency Scotland Area Based Schemes programme, for projects set out within this report. 2.2 Authorises the Head of Housing Services to oversee the delivery and operational management of the programme and notes an update on the outcomes delivered from the programme will be provided to a future meeting of the Policy Board.
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3. Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Schemes (EES:ABS) 2024/25 3.1 The Scottish Government’s EES:ABS programme was formerly known as the Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland: Area Based Schemes (HEEPS: ABS) which was introduced in 2013/14. The programme is targeted at private sector homeowners to assist their participation and ensure projects to improve energy efficiency can proceed. The key objectives are to address fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions and demonstrate an appropriate strategic fit and approach to improving energy efficiency. 3.2 The potential benefits of EES: ABS support a wide range of social housing initiatives including maintaining stock at the levels required by the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) as well as the requirements of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) and the proposed Social Housing Neet Zero Standard (SHNZS), and local authorities act as coordinating agents for all EES: ABS programmes for their area. 3.3 The Council has been allocated funding of up to £2,061,138 for 2024/25 and has submitted projects for the full amount. Details of the projects included within the bid are set out below: 3.4 As in previous years, the projects within the bid focussed on mixed tenure blocks of solid wall construction type to support social landlords in meeting the requirements of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) and the proposed Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS), as well as an allocation of funding to support private homeowners in houses or wholly private blocks which will be delivered through a Managing Agent. 3.5 The Council has again secured the services of a Managing Agent with the intention of offering this support to private homeowners in areas where the Council has previously carried out investment programmes, where houses and/or blocks were not included in our programme due to them being wholly privately owned. The costs of the Managing Agent role will be met by the EES:ABS funding. Project Value of HEEPS:ABS Renfrewshire Council Mixed Tenure Blocks External Wall Insulation and Solar PV throughout Renfrewshire £837,600 Managing Agent for Wholly Privately Owned Properties £386,538 Renfrewshire Council Regeneration Area Mixed Tenure Blocks in Auchentorlie and Howard Street £837,000 Total £2,061,138
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4. EES:ABS Programme 2023/24 Update 4.1 In 2023/24 the Council was awarded £2,061,138 in EES:ABS grant funding and the full amount of funding was successfully drawn down to support the delivery of energy efficiency works to eligible private owners. 4.2 The Council’s mixed tenure blocks investment project delivered external improvement works including, external wall insulation and associated measures to 90 flatted properties in the Elderslie area. The EES:ABS funding allowed 39 private owners to benefit from these works, whilst the works to a further 51 Council homes were funded by the Council through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital programme. 4.3 Linstone Housing Association successfully delivered External Wall Insulation to four mixed tenure blocks. Six private owners and six Linstone HA tenants benefitted from these works, with EES:ABS funding being utilised to allow the owners to participate and Linstone HA funding the works to their own properties. 4.4 In addition, in 2023/24 the Council continued to work with the Wise Group to act as a managing agent to offer EES:ABS funded energy efficiency improvement works to residents in fully privately owned blocks and individual houses. Targeting eligible residents in the Whitehaugh area of Paisley, where the Council has previously carried out investment programmes, measures including external wall Insulation and solar PV panels were installed to 69 wholly private houses and flats, and funded by EES:ABS. 5. EES:ABS Programme 2024/25 5.1 Members should note there continues to be complexity and a degree of flexibility required around the programming schedule to reflect fluctuating labour resource availability within the construction industry. This may impact on the scheduling of works for 2024/25 and the timetable for drawing down EES:ABS funding, which may result in works being rescheduled over the course of 2024/25 and into 2025/26, however, this will be managed by the Head of Housing Services in line with the Scottish Government’s funding criteria timescales. 5.2 An update on the outcomes of the 2024/25 programme will be provided to the Policy Board on completion of the programme. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – EES:ABS allocation of £2,061,138 for 2024/25 to support owner participation in a range of energy efficiency projects within the Renfrewshire area 2. HR & Organisational Development - None
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3. Community/Council Planning – • Our Renfrewshire is thriving – assisting private owners to participate in programmes to improve housing conditions, making Renfrewshire a great place to live • Our Renfrewshire is well – improving housing conditions benefitting tenants and private owners. Addressing fuel poverty. • Reshaping our place, our economy, and our future – investment in the refurbishment of social rented and private dwellings will create jobs and contribute to the economy. 4. Legal - None 5. Property/Assets – Improvements in the energy performance of both social rented and private dwellings 6. Information Technology - None 7. Equality & Human Rights (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - None 9. Procurement – Procurement of suppliers to deliver some elements of this programme of work. 10. Risk - None 11. Privacy Impact – None 12. Climate Risk – Projects will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency of both social rented and private dwellings. 13. Children’s Rights - None 14. COSLA Policy Position – None ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers (a) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 22 August 2023 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2023/24 Award of Funding
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(b) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 16 August 2022 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2022/23 Award of Funding (c) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 17 August 2021 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2020/21 Award of Funding (d) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 20 August 2020 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2020/21 Award of Funding (e) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 20 August 2019 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2019/20 (f) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 12 March 2019 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2019/20 ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Mark Brown, Housing Asset & Energy Strategy Manager Email: mark.brown@renfrewshire.gov.uk