Issue - meetings

·         Report number HST37

• Lincolnshire Affordable Warmth Strategy
• Impact Assessment

·         Cabinet minute number 23 from 6 September 2010   (Enclosure)

At their meeting on 22 February 2011, the Committee agreed it would like to scrutinise a decision taken by Cabinet that had been implemented. The decision selected for post-decision scrutiny was the Lincolnshire Affordable Warmth Strategy. The Chairman welcomed the Council’s Energy Officer and the Team Leader for Private Sector Housing. They explained about the strategy and addressed Members’ questions.

The strategy was officially launched in October 2010 and was supported by all districts in Lincolnshire. The key feature of the strategy was the HELP (Home Energy Lincs Partnership) Scheme, which offered reduced price cavity wall and loft insulation for residents in Lincolnshire. The implementation of this scheme took a two-pronged approach: (1) targeting areas that were identified because of levels of fuel poverty; and (2) self-referral.

Four Wards were targeted, in which 4,600 properties were approached. Anyone else in the district who was interested in participating in the scheme could call a free phone telephone number. In total, installations had been completed in 1,111 households in the district, the highest of all the local authority areas in Lincolnshire.

The scheme had funding of £1.75m across the county. £550,000 had been spent and a further £227,000 had been committed. The funding would run until it had been exhausted, which was anticipated to take approximately two years. The HELP scheme had proved more successful than similar projects that had run in the district, however, no actual comparative figures were available. Lincolnshire County Council was identifying the demographic profile of those people who had taken advantage of the scheme.

To ensure the best possible take-up, letters were sent to all properties in areas identified as having the highest levels of fuel poverty. These were followed up by representatives going house-to-house. The Council also had an officer who attended events to promote the scheme. A lot of interest had developed through word-of-mouth.

Councillors raised concerns about companies trying to piggy-back the scheme and take advantage of residents. Officers reassured the Committee that assessors would be identifiable by their hi-vis jackets bearing the HELP logo. Their visits would be pre-dated by the mailshot sent out in that area.  If the council becomes aware of any companies trying to use the scheme, it will look into them and take action to ensure they are not mis-selling products and services.

Councillors praised the scheme and thanked the officers for attending the meeting.

Report  Number HST 37 by the Portfolio Holder, Corporate Governance & Housing.

(Enclosure)

DECISION:

That Cabinet approves the adoption of the Lincolnshire Affordable Warmth Strategy (LAWS) 2010-2016.

Considerations/reasons for decision:

1)     Report HST37 from the Portfolio Holder Corporate Governance & Housing

2)     The recommendation from the Communities PDG in July to adopt the Strategy.

3)     Comments made by Cabinet Members at the meeting.

4)     The strategy’s actions will provide benefits within the district to what is currently on offer and draws in external funding to benefit  householders.

5)     It supports SKDC’s work to achieve its NI 187 target and for Lincolnshire collectively to reach LAA targets  

Other options considered:

The affordable warmth strategy has been developed as an action from the Lincolnshire Sustainable Community Strategy adopted by all Lincolnshire councils in 2009. There are collective agreements within that strategy relating to delivery against Local Area Agreements (LAA) and National Indicator (NI) targets. SKDC has also identified energy efficiency as a priority within its own housing strategy.

SKDC would not, in isolation, have the capacity and/or resources to deliver the wider requirements of the LAA and NI targets. Adopting the strategy enables SK residents to access and benefit from a range of initiatives to improve energy efficiency, increase affordable warmth and reduce carbon emissions at the same time the input required from the council itself is minimal.