The Executive Director (Communities and People) has submitted a report to seek Cabinet approval for HRA Energy Efficiency projects for the financial year 2024/25 and delegated authority to award the necessary contracts.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.       Grant project approval for Oxford City Council to proceed with energy efficiency projects on HRA properties using the 2024/25 approved budget; and

2.       Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People), in consultation with the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer and the Head of Law and Governance, to spend the previously approved remaining HRA 2024 /25 budget, as agreed by full Council in 2023/24, for the purposes of HRA energy efficiency projects including awarding contracts to contractors and consultants to manage and deliver the projects following procurement processes outlined in the constitution.

The Executive Director (Communities and People) had submitted a report to seek Cabinet approval for HRA Energy Efficiency projects for the financial year 2024/25, and delegated authority to award the necessary contracts.

Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, reported that a capital budget of £7.45m had been allocated to HRA energy efficiency projects for 2024-25, of which c£4m had already been allocated within Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund projects.  The report before Cabinet sought approval for the allocation of the remaining funds to energy efficiency projects for 2024-25.  Councillor Smith highlighted that these works would bring benefits to residents in the form of warmer homes and reduced energy consumption, as well as helping the Council work towards its targets of getting 95% of its housing stock to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or above by 2030 and achieving net zero carbon emissions as a city by 2040.

Councillor Smith outlined that whilst detailed programmes had yet to be worked up a ‘fabric first’ (e.g. insulation) approach would be taken, before installing low carbon heating solutions such as air source or ground source heat pumps.  It was proposed that the budget would also include delivery of projects on non-traditional properties and improving housing stock energy data.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.        Grant project approval for Oxford City Council to proceed with energy efficiency projects on HRA properties using the 2024/25 approved budget; and

2.        Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People), in consultation with the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer and the Head of Law and Governance, to spend the previously approved remaining HRA 2024 /25 budget, as agreed by full Council in 2023/24, for the purposes of HRA energy efficiency projects including awarding contracts to contractors and consultants to manage and deliver the projects following procurement processes outlined in the constitution.