Agenda item

To note and review the Council’s progress on becoming Carbon Neutral.

The Climate Change & Sustainability Team Leader presented the report to Committee which provided an update on the progress the Council has made over the last 12 months to meet its target of becoming Carbon Zero by 2030 and the additional work undertaken to reduce carbon emissions by 61% including the development of a corporate climate change risk register.

In 2019, the Council declared a Climate Emergency and set out an ambitious target to ensure its activities and operations are carbon neutral by 2030. The report highlighted ongoing improvements the Council has made to key buildings including further improvements to the Council’s operational estate including the installation of energy efficiency measures.

Members heard that Oakengates Leisure Centre had received a £2.2m investment which saw the installation of a new air source heat pump and insulation, enabling the EPC rating to increase to B from a previous rating of C. Horsehay Village Gold Course has benefited from the installation of new solar panels, battery storage and EV charging points resulting in an energy saving of 65MWh. The Council had also recently applied for a £1.1m grant for Wellington Leisure Centre to cover the cost of the installation an air source heat pump and further insulation.

The report highlighted how the Council had continued its investment into housing schemes such as NuPlace which had seen 30 homes built at the Donnington Wood site with EV charging points and a further 7 homes built to Future Homes standards to ensure the Council continues to provide properties that are more affordable to heat, tackling fuel poverty and health impacts of living in cold and damp conditions.

The Council has previously delivered a wide range of projects to support people in fuel poverty including 10 off gas properties retrofitted with 22 energy efficiency measures using funding from phase 1 of the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG1). A further 25 properties had been included in the application process for the next phase of the grant programme. The Local Authority Delivery Scheme (LAD2) scheme was also used to retrofit 50 homes in Sutton Hill with 77 energy efficiency measures, including external wall insulation, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, double glazing and solar panels, reducing heating bills by £640 per year. Through its Warm and Well Telford grant, the Council had continued to provide partial glazing, external doors and heating controls for 50 eligible properties.

Members heard that the Quad located in the Station Quarter development was the first Council building to receive an EPC rating of A for environmental performance and B for energy with a further 189 affordable homes planned to be built.

Further funding had also been delivered into cycle routes as part of the Council’s Active Travel Scheme and the Council had also recently introduced a new car club for staff to reduce business milage emissions. Delivery had started on new charging points across the Borough following a £1.2m investment for on street charging points and initiatives such as the Bike Hub had continued to support residents to make the switch from the use of their cars following the introduction of adapted bikes.

Over the last 12 months, the Council had continued to be proactive in protecting and enhancing council-owned green spaces to support climate adaptation with the introduction of 38 wildflower areas across 23 sites. The Council had worked closely with the Buglife charity to address the decline in pollinating insects and meadow cut areas were now incorporated into al Green Flag parks.

Members heard that the development of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) in partnership with Shropshire Council had been progressing and a steering group of nine members including the Environment Agency  and Shropshire Wildlife Trust was now in place to provide support.

 Following the presentation of the report, Members asked a series of questions:-

Was the on-street charging referenced in the report announced by the Council and did the Council know what technology would be used?

The Director: Neighbourhood & Enforcement Services advised that the off-street elements of the initiative had been announced previously and that the Council were currently working through the details to provide an update for on-street parking following allocation of funding for Local Authorities. Council teams were currently working through the criteria to determine where the funding could be used and its deliverability. Depending on the levels of funding provided, the Director: Neighbourhood & Enforcement Services advised that consultation would take place with ward members to identify the best locations, taking into consideration the current challenges with on-street parking in the Borough.

Taking into consideration residents who may want to charge their vehicles in the public realm and given that this is not new technology with working examples in councils across the UK, how would the Council ensure flexibility to accommodate those residents who do not have driveways?

The Director: Neighbourhood & Enforcement Services advised that the Council would take into consideration residents who may not have a driveway or off-street space for charging and that further work may be needed to offer bespoke solutions including designated parking bays to avoid cables being dragged across frontways.

Were the heat pumps and wood chip pellet boilers the most energy efficient way of working?

The Climate Change & Sustainability Team Leader advised that heat pumps had proven to be much more efficient and cheaper to use than gas. However, there had been a shortage of professionals who could install them and therefore many installations were being completed through traditional gas fitting methods. Members were informed that the main issue with heat pumps was that they were only effective if the insulation had been installed correctly, however there would be cases where heat pumps would be fitted in housing with new building regulations as a result of houses being designed to accommodate air source heat pumps.