Agenda item

The Deputy Leader announced that prior to the commencement of the meeting, it was agreed that the running order of the agenda would, if necessary, be changed in order to accommodate the officers from Worcestershire Regulatory Services who had a prior commitment until 14:45pm.

The Climate Change Manager therefore continued and presented the District Heat Network Revisions.

Members were informed that Bromsgrove District Council was developing a zero-carbon heat network project to supply clean heat to homes, businesses, and public buildings in Bromsgrove Town Centre, with potential for future expansion to Bromsgrove Town. A feasibility study conducted in 2019 identified a low-carbon district heating network based on an open loop aquifer ground source heat pump as the preferred technology. However, the project's original approach, which included a natural gas-fired combined heat and powerplant, was no longer aligned with current government decarbonisation targets.

The Council had already secured £247,500 in funding for the project in 2020. This included £227,500 from the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Heat Network Delivery Unit (HNDU) and contributions from Bromsgrove School £10,000 and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust £10,000.  In addition, the Council had matched the funding with a contribution of £112,500.

The government's approach to heat network development had evolved since the feasibility study, with a focus on:

·       Phased out of Combined Heat and Power.

·       Heat Network Zoning.

·       Green Heat Network Fund (GNHF).

Recognising the importance of maximizing the initial impact of the project, the Council proposed to explore alternative locations for Phase 1 of the heat network within the Bromsgrove Town Centre area.

Bromsgrove District Council recognised that it did not currently have the internal expertise and knowledge to fully   deliver a district heat network project. Therefore, the Council was actively seeking a strong and experienced partner organisation to collaborate with.

The key criteria for partner selection included:

·        Proven track record.

·       Financial strength and stability.

·       Commitment to sustainability.

·        Community engagement.

Members thanked the officer for a very interesting report, which was in theory fantastic.  However Members questioned the practicality for new developments, and it being expensive to retro fit.  The Government was looking to phase out combined heating power, which then left air / water heat pumps or small plant that burnt waste.

Members further commented that moving forward the Council needed to know where houses were going to be built in order to agree what would be put in place. 

In response the Deputy Chief Executive stated that it was about putting an infrastructure in place prior to a major development.

The Chief Executive reassured Members that mitigation strategies were included in the report. 

A brief debate followed on the English Devolution White Paper.

The Assistant Director Assistant for Planning, Leisure and Culture Services briefly stated that in terms of the Local Plan review, it was in our gift to concur what the Council wanted, and that developers could be asked to look at new developments.

RESOLVED that

1)    the revised approach to deliver the Bromsgrove District Heat Network, be approved; and

2)    the exploration of alternative locations for phase one of the Bromsgrove District Heat Network, be approved.