Issue - meetings

This report presents the Surrey Retrofit Strategic Action Plan (The Plan) and seeks its endorsement.

Following consideration, it was unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Endorse the Surrey Retrofit Strategic Action Plan (Appendix 1) and in conjunction with the Chair to provide written confirmation to Surrey County Council.

The Committee received a report that presented the Surrey Retrofit Strategic Action Plan (The Plan) and sought its endorsement. The plan sets out a roadmap to accelerate home retrofit, reduce fuel poverty and increase environmental sustainability in homes across Surrey. Endorsement of the plan was being sought from all stakeholders and would demonstrate support and commitment to continue to work collaboratively to deliver the goals of the plan.

The Committee considered the following matters:

a)             Skills Development:  A Member asked if there was to be sponsorship of skills development with NESCOT to which the Environment and Sustainability Officer confirmed that NESCOT had been involved in the workshops as part of the development of the plan. NESCOT had indicated they would be interested in seeking to support and develop skills in the borough. Presently the plan was at a high strategic level, but the next stage would be to set out how it was to be implemented and all stakeholders including training and education providers such as NESCOT would be involved at that stage.

b)             Sustainable Energy: A Member stated that the work the council had done on solar energy was good but there was much more work needed on sustainable energy and asked how this was to happen at a local level.  The Environment and Sustainability Officer explained how the council had been working collaboratively for many years with both the county council and boroughs and districts, on home retrofit schemes, through the Action Surrey partnership.  Action Surrey disbanded last year and the county council had taken on that role. A range of schemes had been delivered, including on energy efficiency measures such as improved insulation and double glazing, Solar PV installations through Solar Together and the Switch Together Heat Pump scheme which is currently in its first round.  The Solar Together scheme has seen near to 200 homes benefit from solar energy in Epsom & Ewell.  A further round of the solar and heat pump schemes is expected to run later this year and whilst much work had been done there was still a significant need for accelerating home retrofit.  The council was continually looking at new schemes and funding opportunity to drive forward the sustainable energy agenda.

Following consideration, it was unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Endorse the Surrey Retrofit Strategic Action Plan (Appendix 1) and in conjunction with the Chair to provide written confirmation to Surrey County Council.