Issue - meetings

This report provides details of the Re:fit programme; a building retrofit and energy generation programme which will provide considerable revenue savings and deliver on the Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration. The Council is asked to agree the addition of up to £8.5 million to the Council’s Capital Programme.

Background:

This report provided details of the Re:Fit programme; a building retrofit and energy generation programme which would provide considerable revenue savings and deliver on the Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration. This would be achieved by an ‘invest to save’ model where the Re:Fit Framework contractor, Scottish and Southern Energy – SSE, would guarantee the savings.

The report set out that the Re:Fit Programme comprised a number of phases, with Phase 1 works due to commence this summer 2021.

The report had been considered by the Cabinet on 13 July 2021, with the Cabinet having approved the Re:Fit Programme and made the related decisions, as set out in section 5 of the report. Due to additions to the Council’s Capital Programme being matters for Full Council, the Cabinet also recommended to Council the addition of up to £8.5 million to the Council’s Capital Programme, funded from Prudential Borrowing to deliver phases 2 to 4 of the Re:fit programme [Decision No. 63/2021] refers.

The Portfolio Holder for Resources, Councillor Gulvin, supported by the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services, Councillor Doe, proposed the recommendations set out in the report.

Decision:

The Council agreed the addition of up to £8.5 million to the Council’s Capital Programme, funded from Prudential Borrowing, to deliver phases 2 to 4 of the Re:fit programme.

Background:

This report provided details of the Re:Fit programme; a building retrofit and energy generation programme which would provide considerable revenue savings and deliver on the Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration. This would be achieved by an ‘invest to save’ model where the Re:Fit Framework contractor, Scottish and Southern Energy – SSE, would guarantee the savings.

The report set out that the Re:Fit Programme comprised a number of phases, with Phase 1 works due to commence this summer 2021. The business case for Phase 1 indicated a maximum cost of £3.5m with minimum annual revenue savings of £274K. The net revenue saving in year 1 was circa £14,000, with this increasing significantly by year four of the estimated 20 year useful life of the assets.

The report advised that the carbon savings associated with Re:Fit Phase 1 were 503 tonnes of carbon and that the programme was expected to deliver in excess of 2,000 tonnes of carbon savings in total. Re:Fit was an integral part of the Climate Change Action Plan [agenda item number 8 refers].

Exempt Appendix 1 to the report set out the Phase 1 Business Case of the Re:Fit programme.

Reasons:

To provide revenue savings and carbon reduction, to provide a delivery vehicle for the works associated with the Climate Emergency in council stock (including HSA and schools), to be ready to apply for carbon reduction grant funding.