Agenda item - Recommendations from the Cabinet

Agenda item

Recommendations from the Cabinet

To consider the recommendations from the meeting of the Cabinet held on Wednesday 15th September 2021.

 

 

Minutes:

Zero Carbon Heat Network

 

The Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Cultural Services and Community Safety presented a report on the subject of the Zero Carbon Heat Network.  Members were advised that the Council was in the process of working on the development of a heat network which would initially be sited in Bromsgrove town centre. 

 

Council had previously agreed to launch a heat network in Bromsgrove in 2019 and in 2020 the Council had secured £227,500 towards the detailed design phase of the project from the Government.  This had been matched by funding from Bromsgrove District Council, Bromsgrove School and the Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.  Since that time, the Government had made some changes to the process, including in respect of the requirement for a Zero Carbon Heat Network.  The recommendations from Cabinet were designed to address these changes.

 

During consideration of this item, an amendment was proposed to the fourth recommendation on the subject of the Zero Carbon Heat Network.  The amendment was proposed by Councillor P. McDonald and seconded by Councillor L. Mallett.

 

The amendment was as follows:

 

“To ensure that the membership of the Zero Carbon Heat Network project board is truly representative, the state schools in Bromsgrove town centre and Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT) should have representatives on the board.”

 

In proposing the amendment, Councillor McDonald commented that he welcomed news about the Zero Carbon Heat Network.  However, he expressed concerns that no state schools would be represented alongside the private Bromsgrove School on the project board.  Members were also asked to note that it was important to ensure that residents’ housing needs were met in delivering the project and BDHT would therefore be an invaluable partner on the board.

 

In seconding the amendment, Councillor Mallett commented that it was important to ensure that the most appropriate organisations were represented on the project board at the feasibility study stage.  Councillor Mallett raised concerns about the rationale for a representative being appointed from Bromsgrove School to the project board.  He suggested that it would be sensible to appoint representatives from a state school and BDHT to the project board.

 

Members discussed the amendment in some detail and in so doing commented on the following:

 

·                The rationale for the original choice of organisations that would be represented on the project board.  Members noted that Bromsgrove School was represented because the school grounds would be the site of the bore hole for the network.

·                The organisations that had contributed funding to the project and whether they were all represented on the project board.

·                The extent to which the Zero Carbon Heat Network would benefit houses in the initial stages of the project.

·                The role of the project board.  Council was advised that the project board wouldoversee the work of the project manager and the feasibility study and ensure that the project was delivered in budget.

·                Members were advised that any proposals for a Zero Carbon Heat Network which might arise from the feasibility work would be subject to a full business case and recommendations to Cabinet and Council as appropriate.

·                The previous discussions in respect of the Heat Network that had taken place at meetings of the Climate Change Working Group and the extent to which proposals in respect of the project board differed from what had been discussed by that group.

·                The discussions in respect of the Heat Network that had been held at a previous meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board.  Members noted that this discussion had not taken place in recent months.

 

In accordance with Procedure Rules 18.3 a recorded vote was taken and the voting was as follows:

 

Members voting FOR the amendment:

 

Councillors S. Douglas, A. English, C. Hotham, J. King, L. Mallett, P. McDonald and H. Rone-Clarke (7).

 

Members voting AGAINST the amendment:

 

Councillors S. Baxter, A. Beaumont, R. Deeming, R. Hunter, H. Jones, A. Kent, K. May, M. Middleton, S. Robinson, P. Thomas, J. Till, S. Webb and P. Whittaker (13).

 

Members voting to ABSTAIN on the amendment:

 

Councillor R. Jenkins (1).

 

On being put to the vote the amendment was therefore lost.

 

The proposals detailed in the report and recommendations from Cabinet were subsequently discussed.  Members commented that it was important for the project board to seriously consider how engagement would be undertaken with interested parties whilst working on the project.  It was suggested that there would be significant value attached to engaging with the wider community at the business case stage.  Council was informed that the project board would be engaging with partners and took this very seriously.

 

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor P. Thomas and seconded by Councillor K. May.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1)        The Zero Carbon Heat Network (ZCHN) project pursues the concession route to market;

2)        Delegated authority be given to the Head of Community and Housing Services and the Head of Legal, Democratic and Property Services to procure and agree the Concession Agreement with qualifying energy companies;

3)        Green Heat Network Funding is utilised to fund this route to market; and

4)        A project board, to assist the Project Manager, be established under the terms of reference.

 

(Prior to the debate on this item, Councillor M. Thompson declared a pecuniary interest on the grounds that his employer, Bromsgrove School, had been one of the organisations providing a financial contribution to support, and would benefit from, the Detailed Design Phase of the Project from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Heat Network Delivery Unit (HNDU).  He left the room during consideration of this item and took no part in the debate or voting thereon.)

 

 

Supporting documents: