Agenda item

Recommendations

1)     That the Executive authorises the acceptance of the grant of up to £9.5m per annum for a maximum of three years from The Warm Homes: Local Grant to upgrade privately owned houses for low-income households.

2)     That the acceptance of the final grant award allocation be delegated to the Corporate Director Resources in consultation with the Corporate Director Community Development, Executive Member for Resources and Finance and the Executive Member for Culture, Arts and Housing of up to £9.5m per annum for 3 years from the Warm Homes: Local Grant. Along with the authority to exceed the originally agreed Grant award by up to 50% under the provisions of the MOU, if delivery performance is in line with or exceeding delivery forecasts and written permission is provided by DESNZ.

Considered – A report of the Corporate Director Community Development recommending the acceptance of external grant funding of up to £9.5m per annum for a maximum of three years from The Warm Homes: Local Grant to upgrade privately owned houses for low-income households.

The Executive Member for Culture, Arts and Housing, Councillor Simon Myers, introduced the report and advised that the Council would be informed of its funding allocation in early 2025, following which a Memorandum of Understanding would need to be signed and returned.  As the timeframe did not align with the Council’s decision making processes agreement was sought to accept the funding up to the maximum potential amount in anticipation of the award, and to exceed grant spend by 50% under the provisions of the MoU, with authority delegated as detailed in the resolution to accept the final grant award allocation.

In introducing the report the Executive Member confirmed that the funding would provide an opportunity to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency, as well as supporting the provision of skilled jobs for local people. 

Resolved (unanimously)

1)     That the Executive authorises the acceptance of the grant of up to £9.5m per annum for a maximum of three years from The Warm Homes: Local Grant to upgrade privately owned houses for low-income households.

2)     That the acceptance of the final grant award allocation be delegated to the Corporate Director Resources in consultation with the Corporate Director Community Development, Executive Member for Resources and Finance and the Executive Member for Culture, Arts and Housing of up to £9.5m per annum for 3 years from the Warm Homes: Local Grant. Along with the authority to exceed the originally agreed Grant award by up to 50% under the provisions of the MOU, if delivery performance is in line with or exceeding delivery forecasts and written permission is provided by DESNZ.

Reasons for Recommendations

The grant funding will provide the Council with the opportunity to support some of our most vulnerable families by helping them occupy warmer homes with reduced energy bills, while also reducing carbon emissions in support of our net zero target.

Alternative Options Considered

Not to bid: this was rejected as the WHLG supports the decarbonisation of the private sector housing stock whilst supporting us to alleviate fuel poverty within our most vulnerable households.

The alternative option is to not accept the funding, which would result in a loss of investment in energy efficiency installations to circa 1,620 private sector households in North Yorkshire and loss of significant funds into the local economy.

To bid as part of a consortium: this was rejected due to the scale of the project and the different delivery model of our neighbouring authorities which would remove our ability to retain full oversight and control of the project in the local area. 

To request more funding: This was rejected. Although our work with DESNZ consultants suggested the potential to deliver to a slightly higher number of households, the complexities of the project should not be underestimated, and our data and knowledge of previous projects suggests that delivery to circa 540 households per year is a realistic projection in terms of delivery.