Issue - meetings

Zero Carbon Retrofit - Supporting Raven Housing Trust to Improve Local Homes

Meeting: 22/07/2021 - Executive (Item 16)

16 Zero Carbon Retrofit - Supporting Raven Housing Trust to Improve Local Homes

Portfolio Holder for Housing and Support and Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy and Resources.

Supporting documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the Executive supports the approach of assisting Raven Housing Trust to meeting their Net Zero Carbon emissions targets through reinvestment of the Development Clawback into retrofitting local homes.

 

2.    The Head of Finance be authorised in consultation with the:

·       Executive Member for Finance & Governance

·       Executive Member for Housing & Support

·       Head of Housing

To agree and sign an Agreement with Raven Housing Trust so that the funds can be re-invested.

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Brunt, introduced the report by explaining that Raven Housing Trust, the Borough’s largest social landlord, had committed to meeting the zero carbon target, passed into law by the Government in 2019, for its Borough homes by retrofitting them to make them more energy efficient for local residents. The cost for Raven of retrofitting local homes was forecast to be more than £97 million.

 

Raven had requested the Council reinvest capital receipts arising from disposals, in advance of the expiry of the Development Clawback Agreement in March 2022 into home improvements. The increased investment in retrofitting Borough homes would benefit the Borough’s residents.

 

The proposal would support the steps Raven was taking to tackle climate change locally. It would also support delivery of the Council’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

 

In response to questions from Visiting Members it was confirmed:

·       Raven Housing Trust would be attending the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in September and there would be the opportunity for members to ask for details of Raven’s plan to deliver

·       The Council would continue ongoing discussions with businesses and homeowners across the Borough to help enable them to improve their properties as part of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy

·       The reinvestment would apply to capital receipts from 2021/22 until the end of the contract and sums received to date have been earmarked elsewhere.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the Executive supports the approach of assisting Raven Housing Trust to meeting their Net Zero Carbon emissions targets through reinvestment of the Development Clawback into retrofitting local homes.

 

2.    The Head of Finance be authorised in consultation with the:

·       Executive Member for Finance & Governance

·       Executive Member for Housing & Support

·       Head of Housing

To agree and sign an Agreement with Raven Housing Trust so that the funds can be re-invested.