Issue - meetings

To consider a report by Councillor Tony Thomas, Lead Member for Housing and Communities (copy enclosed) seeking Cabinet approval to tender the next housing improvement framework to procure services required to deliver major external repairs to the Council’s housing stock.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approves the use of the External Enveloping and Energy Efficiency Framework for Council Housing to deliver the required improvements in line with the housing stock business plan.

Councillor Tony Thomas presented the report seeking Cabinet approval to tender the next housing improvement framework to procure services required to deliver major external repairs to the Council’s housing stock and maintain the condition of the housing stock in line with the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

Some background had been provided regarding the management of council housing stock and significant major repairs completed to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.  The current programme of improvements ended in May 2021 and it was intended to proceed with the next planned capital programme during autumn 2021.  Work would also include increased energy efficiency measures to ensure both corporate and Welsh Government targets were achieved where financially viable, and new ways of working had been trialled to deliver energy efficiency improvements and track improvements.  A four year framework was proposed to deliver the improvements which allowed for standard external enveloping works together with retrofit energy measures should future grants allow.  The cost of the framework was circa £10m dependent on the level of works required for each applicable lot.  The planned expenditure was included within the Housing Stock Business Plan and current and future spending plans.

Cabinet welcomed the improvement works undertaken to the housing stock over recent years together with the impact of the Welsh Government (WG) Retrofit Grant funding to deliver energy efficiency improvements, and paid tribute to all those involved in that regard.  Cabinet also welcomed the planned improvement works going forward and expectation for further retrofit funding from WG in order to deliver further energy efficiency schemes.  Main areas of debate focused on the following –

·        in response to questions from Councillor Mark Young officers confirmed that in terms of solar PV the main benefit was to the tenant.  Once the longer term funding position was known work would be carried out to identify mechanisms to enable the council to receive a return on that energy provision; the setting up of an energy company via a cooperative was a future option to consider

·        Councillor Brian Jones sought assurances that the housing team were keeping up with the latest energy efficiency developments, including the onset of hydrogen technology, in order for the council to be best placed to benefit from any future opportunities.  The Lead Member and officers provided assurances in that regard confirming regular dialogue with the Welsh Government and a watching briefing on various schemes although there was some conflicting advice regarding new technologies, and the matter would be kept under close review.  In terms of hydrogen ready boilers, they would likely be available some time before the infrastructure to support them and much work would be required nationally before hydrogen boilers became mainstream in the housing stock.  Councillor Jones was keen for the council to be proactive in forging links with those areas of industry at the forefront of such developments in the North West and North East Wales and to be involved at the earliest possible opportunity

·        with regard to the risk of legal challenge identified in the report, officers confirmed that it was a standard risk with any procurement exercise and not specific to the housing improvement framework in particular.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approves the use of the External Enveloping and Energy Efficiency Framework for Council Housing to deliver the required improvements in line with the housing stock business plan.