Housing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes - 2023-24 Award of Funding CaH 22 08 23
Renfrewshire Council · 22 August 2023
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 22 August 2023 and its agenda
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 22 August 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Housing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2023/24 Award of Funding ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Renfrewshire Council has been awarded up to £2,061,138 for qualifying projects under the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland Area Based Schemes (EES: ABS) programme for 2023/24. 1.2 The report updates members on the funding process that has secured this investment and the projects which will be supported. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 Homologates the action taken by the Head of Housing Services in accepting the funding of up to £2,061,138 that has been awarded for qualifying projects within the Renfrewshire Council area for 2023/24 under the Scottish Government’s EES: ABS programme; and 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) 2023/24 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 local authorities act as coordinating agents for all EES: ABS programmes for their area. 3.3 The Council applied for funding of up to £2,061,138 for 2023/24 and was awarded 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), 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. 4. EES: ABS Programme 2022/23 4.1 In 2022/23 the Council was awarded £1,675,500 in EES:ABS grant funding. The delivery of the 2022/23 EES:ABS programme was impacted by a range of issues which continue to affect the construction industry, including material supply delays, increased costs, and fluctuating labour supply, as the demand for construction work is exceeding the availability of labour resource. Project Value of HEEPS:ABS Renfrewshire Council Mixed Tenure Blocks External Wall Insulation and Solar PV £1,472,238 Managing Agent for Wholly Privately Owned Properties £502,800 Linstone Housing Association Project £86,100 Total £2,061,138
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4.2 Notwithstanding the complexity of these challenges, the Council successfully drew down £1,259,033 of EES:ABS funding to support the delivery of energy efficiency works to eligible private owners. 4.3 The Council’s mixed tenure blocks investment project delivered external improvement works including, external wall insulation and associated measures to 115 flatted properties in the areas of Howwood, Kilbarchan, Bridge of Weir, Inchinnan, Kilbarchan, Bishopton, Johnstone, Elderslie, Gallowhill and Blackstoun Oval. The EES:ABS funding allowed 57 private owners to benefit from these works, whilst the works to a further 58 Council homes were funded by the Council through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital programme. 4.4 In addition, in 2022/23 the Council appointed 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 Lochfield and Whitehaugh areas of Paisley, where the Council has previously carried out investment programmes, measures including external wall Insulation and solar PV panels were installed to 34 fully private houses and flats and funded by EES:ABS. 4.5 Whilst a notable recovery has been made in 2022/23 compared to the previous two years, with a significant amount of work being complete, there has been the need to reprofile the timetable for the EES:ABS investment programme with some works being rescheduled into 2023/24. 5. EES:ABS Programme 2023/24 5.1 Members should note there continues to be complexity and a degree of uncertainty around the programming schedule due to the ongoing issues being faced by the construction industry. This may impact on the scheduling of works for 2023/24 and the timetable for drawing down EES:ABS funding, which may result in works being rescheduled over the course of 2023/24 and into 2024/25, 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 2023/24 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 2023/24 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. COSLA Policy Position – None 13. Climate Risk – Projects will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency of both social rented and private dwellings. ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers (a) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 16 August 2022 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2022/23 Award of Funding
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(b) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 17 August 2021 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2020/21 Award of Funding (c) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 20 August 2020 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2020/21 Award of Funding (d) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 20 August 2019 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2019/20 (e) 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 Email: mark.brown@renfrewshire.gov.uk