Homes and the Built Environment actions

B1. Continue to implement the ten-year programme to retrofit all council homes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) B standard. This looks at whole house retrofit and includes both energy saving measures such as insulation and technologies like air source heat pumps (Links to 5.1 Buildings, 1.1 and 1.2 and to some of 1.3, though there is an element of user ability to impact this, Anthesis)

B1.1. Retrofit all the council homes to EPC B by 2030 (Home Energy Efficiency Programme (HEEP), ensuring all fossil fuel appliances used as the primary heating and hot water provision are removed where feasible.

10 year programme to retrofit all council homes to EPC B by 2030.

Retrofit 500 homes per year.

Reduce CO₂ from council homes by 12,000 tonnes

Warmer and healthier homes, reduced energy consumption for tenants.

Strategic Assets and FM

B2. Aspire for net zero carbon development by the council where viable and possible. Starting with the council's own new build development programme; a pilot project to manufacture 19 zero carbon homes (in use) off-site.  Using a fabric-first approach, the homes will be all-electric with PV panels

B2.1. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) new build development programme. Starting with the council's own new build development programme; a pilot project to manufacture 19 zero carbon homes (in use) off-site.  Using a fabric-first approach, the homes will likely be all-electric with PV panels

10 years overall programme; Pilot programme due to be completed by March 2023 (19 homes)

Further 1000 homes ordered.

Warmer and healthier homes, reduced energy bills for tenants, lower embodied carbon. Reduced waste & pollution from construction.

Estates and Development (Residential Development Team)

B3. Use the Local Plan review as an opportunity for zero carbon standards in new builds; stronger policy on adaptation and mitigation; and improved policies on other aspects such as water use and well-considered site layouts

B3.1. Develop evidence-led new policy as part of Local Plan review, to include consideration of new build zero carbon development, adaptation to the effects of climate change, sustainable design, construction and resource use.

Publication of draft Local Plan

All

Spatial Planning; Climate Team

B3.2. Investigate development of a method to better understand the climate and energy impacts of the Local Plan policies.

Methodology investigated. End of 2024

Spatial Planning; Climate Team

B4. Look at the council estate to find an opportunity for a case study on retrofitting a historic building

B4.1. Publish initial case study to show the challenges and opportunities relating to retrofitting a historic building.

Initial case study published by Spring 2023

Climate Team

B5. Help residents to understand and engage in retrofitting their homes by information provision and active promotion

B5.1. Desktop research and 30 retrofit inspections across different housing archetypes to identify real life experiences and challenges to retrofitting existing private sector housing stock.

Case studies available by end 2022

Comfortable homes; cost savings; health

Public Health;  With Centre for Sustainable Energy

B5.2. Provide information on retrofit for various audiences via the council website.

Information created 2022

All

Climate Team

B5.3. Continue to explore the best way for the local authority to provide advice on retrofit and support residents in improving energy efficiency and taking up new technology as appropriate for their property.

Webinar for Area Board Environment Leads & town and parish councils. Spring 2023.

All

Climate Team

B6. Continue to help fuel-poor households improve the efficiency of their homes by targeted support

B6.1. Continue to provide support via the Warm and Safe Wiltshire service.

Including training to front-facing health services on energy saving.

Programme funded to end of March 2023

Case worker recruited to provide energy saving and energy debt advice.

Cost savings; comfortable homes; Health

Public Health

B6.2. Develop Wiltshire based case studies that show the benefits of Warm and Safe activities.

Use learning from Warm and Safe implementation to look at expanding the learning, knowledge share and uptake throughout Wiltshire communities.

Case studies and analysis informs development of wider community retrofit programme. Jan 2023

Cost savings; comfortable homes; Health; Scaling up

Public Health with Climate Team

B7. Work in partnership to bid for retrofit funding

B7.1. Wiltshire Council are a marketing partner for the current  Home Upgrade Grant Scheme (HUGS) and Local Authority Delivery Scheme (LADS) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#words-to-avoid

Starting in June 2022, Finalisation in March 2023 or possible extension to June 2023

Cost savings; independence from oil

Public Health

B7.2. Develop and collate data across council service areas to help support funding bids, and enable targeted promotion of grants and comms for retrofit. (see also X3.1)

Assess different data sources and needs for collated resource; by Spring 2023

Cost savings; effective bidding

Business intelligence

B7.3 Develop capacity to bid for government funding for residential retrofits

Corporate review of bidding capacity complete by end 2022

Cost savings; effective bidding

To be determined following review

B8. Disseminate learning from our own programmes to partners locally and nationally. This includes via case studies

B8.1. Continue to raise awareness of council actions through local newsletters, press articles and website e.g. regular updates on the Housing Energy Efficiency Programme (HEEP) and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) of new council homes.

Press release related to progress update to Cabinet Oct 2022

All

Estates and Development; Communication

Share learning with other local authorities and explore collaboration on retrofit (See X1.6)

B9. Work in partnership to raise standards in both housing and the wider built environment, such as business and schools, utilising existing and new communication channels.  This includes with social housing providers through existing partnerships.

B9.1. Continue to hold quarterly meetings with Registered Providers to share knowledge of retrofit (this also relates to B8) and identify opportunities for partnership bids

Quarterly meetings held

All

Climate Team to convene

B9.2. Work with developers to encourage higher standards from new builds, ahead of new Local Plan policy and Future Homes Standard.

Continue to provide responses from the climate perspective into pre-applications; renewable energy planning applications and council own planning applications

Explore engagement based on Wiltshire Design Guide. Summer 2023

Develop criteria to encourage developers to use. Dec 2022

All

Climate Team; Development Management; Natural and Historic Environment.

B9.3. Continue the quarterly meetings with Housing Enablement and Registered Providers to help promote more new affordable housing, and continue discussion on zero carbon in new builds and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Quarterly meetings held

All

Estates and  Development.

B9.4. Continue to work with private sector landlords to ensure compliance with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations.

Non-compliant properties are improved

Cost savings; thermal comfort

Housing - People Services

B9.5. School emissions

Explore the potential to work with a cohort of schools to identify specific potential for carbon savings in buildings, and invest in the necessary works and equipment. Identify appropriate funding.

Initial cohort identified and using Energy Sparks Summer 2023

Cost savings; thermal comfort; education & awareness

Strategic Assets and Facilities Management; Schools; School Place Commissioning; Climate Team

B9.6. Aim for the mobile pre-school replacement programme to be using as high as possible environmental standards as viable.

10 year replacement programme.

Early years capital programme policy agreed by March 2023

Cost savings; thermal comfort; education & awareness

Families & Children Commissioning. Climate Team

B9.7. School knowledge sharing - Continue to share information via the council's communication channels such as Headteachers newsletter and Early Years newsletter.

Ongoing

All

Climate Team with Communications

B9.8 Work with community groups and partners (such as Community First), Town and Parish Councils, and community area board environment leads (ABELs) to encourage knowledge sharing and projects on retrofit.[See also X1.3]

Initial engagement in Winter 2022/23 for Town and Parish Councils and ABELs to launch the delivery plan.

Awareness; cost savings; thermal comfort

Partnership and Engagement Team; Climate Team