Climate emergency action plan - pathway to net zero

Heating for homes and workspaces currently makes up almost a third of all UK carbon emissions and 42 per cent of borough-wide emissions, according to the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Improvements drastically need to be made with the energy efficiency of housing and non-domestic properties. This will ensure they need less energy to heat, making them cheaper to run and more comfortable to live and work in, whilst reducing our dependence on imported energy. This needs to apply to both new and existing housing stock. We aim to tackle fuel poverty which will improve the health and wellbeing of residents, particularly during the winter months.

Delivery update and future areas of focus

Energy strategy and emission reduction internally

• We have spent £130k across our own key buildings alongside a wider programme of measures to improve efficient energy use
• Looking ahead: During 2024, we are putting together a costed emission reduction plan for key buildings and assets across CBC

Social housing retrofit

• Retrofit is challenging, requiring long term planning. We already have a costed programme of planned investment to deliver and exceed government efficiency targets by 2030. During 2023, £800k Wave 1 funding delivered fabric improvements to 34 homes and fabric improvements together with installation of ground source heat pumps (GSHP) for space heating at a 25 unit sheltered scheme. Wave 2.1 will deliver £2.2m grant funding over 2 years between 2023/24 towards the fabric improvement of 175 homes with a further 12 homes identified to receive air source heat pumps (ASHPs)
• Looking ahead: An outline decarbonisation plan has been drawn up, but delivering net zero retrofit across our 4,500 houses will cost approximately 4 times the available funding. Therefore, retrofit will be accelerated as funding becomes available

New build social housing

• We are working towards the delivery of net zero across our development portfolio, where this is technically and economically feasible.

Sustainability design code for Golden Valley

• The Golden Valley supplementary planning document (SPD) was also put in place to deliver high levels of sustainability
• Looking ahead: The development of the project against these stringent goals will continue to be reviewed alongside the regeneration team as the project is developed

Supporting retrofit for homes across cheltenham

• We are currently in the process of running a pilot project to deliver information and support around energy saving and retrofit in Cheltenham, empowering and enabling residents across 50 homes to act to future-proof their homes
• Looking ahead: This project will support development of the council’s wider strategy around homes retrofit alongside the development of green skills

Low carbon heat network development

• Cheltenham Borough Council took part in the government's heat networks zone pilot during 2022-23 to identify suitable locations for heating zones within Cheltenham, due for implementation in 2025
• Looking ahead: We are carrying out a detailed heat network feasibility study during 2024. Legislation is being put in place via the Energy Act that will require connection to a network unless developers are able to demonstrate an alternative net zero option or exemptions apply

Energy generation

• The first of two studies has been produced for the Strategic Local Plan to identify suitable locations for renewable development. The council purchased 100 percent renewable energy across its key assets. The Climate SPD provides a signal to developers to commit to renewable energy
• Looking ahead: We will consider recruiting an energy officer to support local area energy strategy and delivery

Ongoing and completed

In spring 2021, Cheltenham Borough Council was awarded over £380k to install a utility metering platform. The platform brings together all the available energy and water data for some of our biggest buildings, via mechanisms such as a network of sub-meters providing real time data on energy usage. The data will inform a programme of behavioural change, enabling us to reduce energy waste in these buildings.

This project has also generated a decarbonisation plan for each of the identified buildings, such as Leisure at Cheltenham and the Pittville Pump Rooms, which have considered the viability of removing gas heating and cooking elements from each building and explored the required funding and permissions necessary for the council to proceed with such actions.

A ‘fabric-first’ approach is being taken with the existing social homes that we manage which include the council housing stock of around 4,500 dwellings. Many of these homes are heated by GHG emitting gas boilers. Improving the insulation and reviewing low carbon heating options will ensure that the homes are as energy efficient as possible. We have already been successful in a bid to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) for a deep retrofit scheme. This will demonstrate the potential of our existing homes in becoming energy efficient through fabric improvements and low carbon heating. We continue to bid for future waves of these funds and, where beneficial, strengthen bids through partnerships with other local authorities.

New social housing developments in Cheltenham will seek to achieve the very highest standards of energy efficiency. We are working to regenerate existing redundant sites, as part of the commitment to provide 500 affordable homes delivered or in the pipeline by 2026. This has been made possible by our £180m investment to provide quality homes and support thriving communities. The work is a direct delivery of our key priority to increase the supply of housing and investment to build resilient communities and to provide great homes to make Cheltenham a better place to live. We will also strive to make the best use of land in the interests of enhancing biodiversity performance, with insightful design for long-term ecological impact. The development of 320 Swindon Road is an early example.

Actions

Priority in 2021-23

• Measure the energy usage of Cheltenham Borough Council owned properties and develop a heating and energy efficiency strategy to set out actions needed to actively reduce energy consumption and move away from the use of fossil fuels. Introduce behaviour change programmes to reduce energy consumption in council owned buildings. Support businesses and residents to similarly reduce their consumption
• Retrofit council-owned social housing, focusing first on the homes most at risk of fuel poverty
• Develop a new ‘Sustainability Design Code’ for the Golden Valley Development, as a vision for integrated living in West Cheltenham that promotes a low carbon lifestyle. Our aspiration is for this thinking to then be replicated across the town, or within other districts and regions
• Explore the viability of a shared low-carbon heat network, to help reduce borough-wide emissions

Priority in 2024-26

• Retrofit council-owned properties with sustainable, energy-efficient solutions where feasible
• Help owner-occupiers to create more energy efficient homes. For example, by supporting energy companies to provide fuel-poor or vulnerable households with insulation, or by helping influence the retrofit market to ensure there is effective demand for energy efficient measures by those that are classified as “able to pay”. This may include supporting the provision of skills-training for local workers, actively encouraging applications for new installations, and facilitating the applications of funding bids from home owners
• Seek to invest in renewable energy generation by identifying suitable areas in the future Planning Policy documents, such as the Cheltenham Plan and Joint Core Strategy. Review the feasibility of alternative energy sources, new technologies and
• innovations and the potential to be a net contributor
• Commit to using 100 percent renewable electricity across council owned assets, including those operated by key partners. Support businesses and residents to do the same. Encourage developers to commit to renewable energy by stipulating requirements in a new Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

Priority in 2027-28

• Engage with landlords to improve energy efficiency of homes in the private rented sector and commercial properties and encourage them to achieve good insulation
• Look for potential to align conservation area policies with climate emergency goals