Report
of the Director of Environment for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
enclosed.
Minutes:
The
Joint Scrutiny Committee received a presentation from Gareth Nutt, the Director
of Environment at Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC), on the
regional Homes as Power Stations (HAPs) project, which was led by NPTCBC. He advised Members that it had not been
possible to arrange a site visit today to view the project as the site was not
safe to access. He confirmed however
that a site visit would be arranged as soon as construction had been completed.
The
project aimed to deliver smart, low carbon, energy efficient homes through a
co-ordinated approach across the City Region through a combination of new
builds (3,300) and retrofit (7,000). It
was hoped that the project would stimulate the local supply chain and sustain a
skilled workforce. The project would be
monitored and evaluated going forward to evidence its energy efficiency,
effects on health and its ‘livability’.
The project aligns itself with the decarbonisation agenda and aims to
reduce fuel poverty.
The
Director advised that there were schemes under development in all four of the
counties. It was hoped that approval would be received from both the UK and
Welsh Governments following the workshop scheduled to take place in September
which would then enable a programme team to be established to deliver on the
wider programme ambitions.
Following
the presentation Members raised the following points and the Director provided
the associated responses:
·
During
the five year delivery programme, how realistic were the target numbers of new
build and retrofit properties? In
response, the Director advised that there was an affordable housing targets
were not being achieved across the region and it was envisaged that HAPs would
help to address this.
·
How
would HAPs work in a local authority without housing stock? The authority would work through the
Registered Social Landlords.
·
Members
queried the cost-effectiveness of the various models that could be used to
deliver homes as power stations. In response, the Director advised that the aim
was to deliver properties that would be energy positive, although an analysis
of the various models of HAPs would need to be carried out in order to identify
the cost-benefits of different approaches. This would help to identify models
that could be adopted, standardised and scaled up.
·
In
relation to the scheme in Pontardawe, Members were interested to note that this
was a private sector development and noted that NPT Council had been able to
facilitate this through a land deal with the investor. Members were
disappointed to note the limited private sector involvement more broadly.
·
In
relation to the various models of HAPs being developed across the City Deal
Region, Members asked whether all of these would be progressed and were advised
that the Director wanted to keep all types of HAPs within the project to allow
for evaluation of the different approaches so as to identify the best value
options.
·
Members
noted that the project in Neath would become occupied over September and that
the site visit would be convened as soon as practical.
·
It
was acknowledged that the involvement and scale of the private sector
investment was planned to be significant and would be a challenge to achieve
particularly in the medium to long term.
·
Members
asked for a breakdown of the HAPs targets by local authority and the Director advised that this would be
circulated to Members of the Committee with the minutes.
·
Members
asked at what stage would the different models being trialled be coalesced as
one project and noted that once the Business Case was approved a Programme Team
would be established which would bring together the different strands. Once these were up and running they would
then be evaluated for the best options.
The Director advised that some house builders and mortgage lenders were
already on board.
·
In
relation to the additional costs to new build properties this would be in the
region of a 40% increase, although it was hoped to reduce this to 10%.
·
Members
asked how robust was the equipment and were advised that occupiers would
receive induction training into the use of the equipment.
·
Members
asked whether the generation of the anticipated 4,500 jobs was deliverable in
the time frame and were assured that, once approval had been given, there were
900 retro fit properties ready for work to begin. There was a small risk however the four local
authorities involved were on board with the project.