Agenda item

To update elected members and officers on the contents of the Carbon Reduction Plan and the associated recommendations (report of the Assistant Director – Regulatory enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Regulatory which updated elected members and officers on the contents of the Carbon Reduction Plan and the associated recommendations.

The Group Manager - Climate Change and Environment and the Sustainable Development Officer introduced the report and stated that:

• 78% of carbon emissions within South Holland came from the housing stock and taking that away brought South Holland into line with Boston and East Lindsey.
• The overarching document presented was in draft form and the focus was for the Panel to choose a net zero pathway.
• Key areas included within the plan were fleet vehicles, council owned buildings, solar panel feasibility for council owned buildings and energy saving behaviours amongst council staff.
• The plan didn’t commit the council to any financial commitments.
• The report outlined three options for the Panel to choose from.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members commented that with the upcoming Local Government Reorganisation it seemed unrealistic to look at targets.
  • The Sustainable Development Officer stated that upcoming LGR shouldn’t prevent the Council from planning for the future and by having a plan in place, South Holland could influence other Councils.

• Members asked whether the plan would assist in stopping solar farms being placed on agricultural land.
  • The Sustainable Development Officer confirmed that an aim of the plan was to look at the placement of solar panels on Council owned buildings.
  • The Group Manager - Climate Change and Environment added that the next step would be to produce a detailed action plan of how to deliver this and influence corporate activity.
  • She stated that the housing stock lent itself to easily reducing carbon emissions as retrofit work was taking place to properties to increase their EPC ratings.

• Members queried whether the Council did enough to encourage recycling within the office spaces.
  • The Sustainable Development Officer responded that it was an important part of the plan to encourage a changing of behaviours among council staff.
  • He added that the Sustainable Products Policy was already in place with the aim of reducing single waste plastics.

• Members questioned whether the Council could install more combined recycling and general waste bins.
  • The Sustainable Development Officer commented that nothing should be ruled out. A feasibility study would need to be carried out to determine whether this was practical and any financial implications.

• Members asked whether the simplest thing to do for the housing stock would be to put solar panels on all roofs.
  • The Assistant Director – Housing commented that the Council was awaiting the outcome of a bid worth £18m to complete efficiency works on properties that currently had an EPC D rating.
  • He also commented that to put solar panels on every property would be extremely expensive. There were many other options, such as new windows and external wall insulation, that should also be considered.
  • The Group Manager - Climate Change and Environment stated that this sort of idea was unviable at this point in time and policies weren’t in place at a national level to enable this.

• Members queried why solar panels couldn’t be insisted on through planning conditions.
  • The Sustainable Development Officer explained that approval was required from the National Grid for every solar panel in order to plug it into the grid.

• Members asked how far the Council could go to identify properties where the grid would be able to accept extra solar panels.
  • The Group Manager - Climate Change and Environment stated that other grants were available for privately owned housing.  

• Members queried how many properties within the housing stock were included within the next round of energy efficiency improvements.
  • The Assistant Director – Housing commented that 980 properties were included within the next round, and these were predominantly EPC D rated properties. Fifty percent of this work was externally funded, and the Council had match funded this.
  • He confirmed that each property had its own individual requirements so one type of improvement would not fit all.
  • Earlier schemes focused on E, F and G rated properties and had included lots of external wall insulation as an appropriate measure.

• Members commented that they would prefer that energy efficiency improvements to housing stock be funded externally.

• Members asked for examples of private sector funding.
  • The Group Manager - Climate Change and Environment commented that private sector funding was still a work in progress and that this was a very new concept currently being trialled in cities.

• Members wished to see more recycling within the council offices.

• Members asked what the cost difference was between options one and two.
  • The Group Manager - Climate Change and Environment responded that the cost difference was minimal, the difference was the pace of work. Technological advancements may become cheaper over time which would reduce the cost.
  • She stated that every project was subject to a business case coming forward.

AGREED:

1. That the Panel recognises the information and recommendations as set out in the Carbon Reduction Plan in line with the council’s commitment to help both mitigate and adapt to the impacts of Climate Change, improve its own environmental performance and encourages external funding/inward investment with recycling encouraged in all Council buildings.

2. That the Panel recommends to Cabinet that the Carbon Reduction Plan be adopted.

3.    That the Panel recommends Option 2 (as set out in section 4 of the report) for SHDC’s Net Zero Ambition to Cabinet accordingly.