Issue - meetings

RESOLVED that 1) Executive accepts the funding DESNZ,

2) Executive approves the procurement of:

·       Nottingham Trent University to provide the services as set out in paragraph 2.8 of this report

·       Direct Education Business Partnership CIO to provide the services as set out in paragraph 2.12 of this report

·       East Midlands Chambers to provide the services as set out in paragraph 2.17 of this report

·       Elmhurst Energy Systems Limited to provide the services set out in paragraph 2.26 of this report; and

·       RLB to project manage Phase 2 of the Retrofit Skills Pilot.

3) Executive accept the supported funding for the Local Area Retrofit Accelerator.

Executive considered a detailed report, presented by the Portfolio Holder for Growth, which provided an update to Members on Phase 1 and Phase 2 of a Retrofit Skills pilot funded by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) through the Midlands Net Zero Hub and the Local Area Retrofit Accelerator funded by the MCS Foundation.

The report also proposed:

·       acceptance of funding from DESNZ;

·       approval of revenue spend over £75,000;

·       approval for five separate exemptions from the Contract Procedure Rules;

·       acceptance of supported funding from the MCS Foundation for the Local Authority Retrofit Accelerator.

This work built on previous work identifying the need to provide more opportunities for people living and working in the District to gain skills to ensure its local workforce was not left behind in the transition to net zero and was better able to obtain higher skilled, higher paid jobs.

Moved by Councillor John Ritchie and seconded by Councillor Duncan McGregor

RESOLVED that: 1) the funding DESNZ be accepted,

2)    approval is granted for the procurement of:

·       Nottingham Trent University to provide the services as set out in paragraph 2.8 of this report

·       Direct Education Business Partnership CIO to provide the services as set out in paragraph 2.12 of this report

·       East Midlands Chambers to provide the services as set out in paragraph 2.17 of this report

·       Elmhurst Energy Systems Limited to provide the services set out in paragraph 2.26 of this report; and

·       RLB to project manage Phase 2 of the Retrofit Skills Pilot

3)    the supported funding for the Local Area Retrofit Accelerator be accepted.

Reasons for Recommendation

In conclusion, the Council’s work on retrofit skills has therefore been and will increasingly be of local and regional significance. This work could only continue as proposed and at pace with the support of external funding. The work was of significance because of the challenges every Council faced retrofitting its own housing stock and the need to decarbonise our existing housing stock to achieve net zero. These projects aim to deliver actionable solutions that addressed these challenges.

In addition, the work was of significance because the quicker we can improve the energy efficiency of our housing stock through accelerating delivery of retrofit solutions, the quicker more of our most vulnerable residents would live in a house that was more likely to be free of damp, less draughty and cheaper to keep warm.

The work was also of significance because of the potential impact of substantial inward investment for retrofit for the local economy and local supply chain. This investment could be guided by the Local Area Energy Planning, subject of a separate report and due for adoption by the combined authority next year.

Decarbonisation of existing housing stock was already a priority for the new Government and the combined authority and the District needed to be investment ready to take advantage of any funding that became available from the Government or the Mayor in any event.

Retrofit skills were also the same skills that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41