At Full Council on 15 September 2021, the Motion set out below was referred to this Committee for consideration:
Introduction
Whilst recognising the good intentions of the Council as expressed in the Energy Efficiency strategy 2020-25, for measures such as improved insulation and energy saving measures, this Council believes that action now needs to be stepped up if we are to meet our carbon reduction targets. We recognise two major difficulties: a high level of fuel poverty in the district; and the need to understand the new and emerging technologies required to address the carbon reduction targets. However, Arun District has declared a Climate Emergency and aims to be a carbon neutral authority by 2030. That is only eight years away.
In the last few years, Arun District Council has connected 200 council homes to the gas network, and in 2020, around 80 properties had gas boilers installed under the Safe and Warm Home grants scheme. And a few weeks ago, a special meeting of the Wellbeing and Residential committee was called at very short notice to authorise a communal heating gas boiler serving 70 homes to be replaced at Bersted Green Court. This boiler was known to be reaching the end of its life and its replacement had been planned.
Gas is a fossil fuel and causes high levels of carbon dioxide emissions. As we know, the government will be phasing out the use of gas for new housing in the next few years. It is still legally possible to carry on replacing boilers until around 2030 if they are assumed to last for up to twenty years; this would tie in with the government’s target of reaching carbon neutral by 2050. However, at Arun we have set a higher target and so this does not set a good precedent. In fact, this decision alone will surely prevent us being a carbon neutral council by 2030 as we intended.
Motion
This Council requires that carbon neutral alternatives are found to replace heating systems in Council owned properties, rather than replacing gas boilers with new gas boilers. There are systems available and research for alternatives to suit a variety of properties should start now, so that Arun District Council is never again in the position of having to renew a gas boiler.
Proposer: Councillor Thurston
Seconder: Councillor Walsh
Minutes:
The Chair explained to the Committee that a Motion had been referred to it from the meeting of Full Council held on 15 September 2021.
This Motion was:
Introduction
Whilst recognising the good intentions of the Council as expressed in the Energy Efficiency strategy 2020-25, for measures such as improved insulation and energy saving measures, this Council believes that action now needs to be stepped up if we are to meet our carbon reduction targets. We recognise two major difficulties: a high level of fuel poverty in the district; and the need to understand the new and emerging technologies required to address the carbon reduction targets. However, Arun District has declared a Climate Emergency and aims to be a carbon neutral authority by 2030. That is only eight years away. In the last few years, Arun District Council has connected 200 council homes to the gas network, and in 2020, around 80 properties had gas boilers installed under the Safe and Warm Home grants scheme. And a few weeks ago, a special meeting of the Wellbeing and Residential committee was called at very short notice to authorise a communal heating gas boiler serving 70 homes to be replaced at Bersted Green Court. This boiler was known to be reaching the end of its life and its replacement had been planned. Gas is a fossil fuel and causes high levels of carbon dioxide emissions. As we know, the government will be phasing out the use of gas for new housing in the next few years. It is still legally possible to carry on replacing boilers until around 2030 if they are assumed to last for up to twenty years; this would tie in with the government’s target of reaching carbon neutral by 2050. However, at Arun we have set a higher target and so this does not set a good precedent. In fact, this decision alone will surely prevent us being a carbon neutral council by 2030 as we intended.
Motion
This Council requires that carbon neutral alternatives are found to replace heating systems in Council owned properties, rather than replacing gas boilers with new gas boilers. There are systems available and research for alternatives to suit a variety of properties should start now, so that Arun District Council is never again in the position of having to renew a gas boiler.
The Chair confirmed that having consulted with the original
proposer of the Motion, Councillor Thurston, he wished to propose
the motion with an amendment, additions have been shown in
bold with deletions shown using
strikethrough:
This Council requires that strongly
supports the use of carbon neutral alternatives are found to
replace when replacing existing heating systems in
Council owned properties assets. rather than
replacing gas boilers with new gas boilers. There are systems
available and research for alternatives to suit a variety of
properties should start now, so that Arun District Council is
never again in the position of having to renew a gas boiler
so officers are instructed to incorporate this into the HRA
Business Plan and other strategies for the management of our assets
so we can work towards the removal of all gas boilers in the
interests of this council reaching its target of net zero
emissions.
Councillor Walsh then seconded this amendment.
The Chair invited debate on this amendment which has been summarised below:
· It was acknowledged that vital insulation and fabric work needed to commence now with the need to start research urgently and to look at carbon neutral alternatives – the aim of the Motion had been to highlight this urgent need
· The cross-Committee and cross-Service nature of the issues that needed to be addressed were acknowledged
· The need to cover installation for new properties as well as replacement of boilers in older properties
· The strengthening of the language to reflect its urgency
· Whether previous emergency boiler replacements could have been avoided with forward planning
· The need to insulate pre-existing properties before replacing gas boilers with carbon neutral alternatives, or risk leaving vulnerable residents with colder homes and higher bills, and whether insulation should be reprioritised
· How did this Motion address new Council owned assets?
· There was comment that the revised wording in the Motion was not strong enough – wording such as support needed to be replaced with ‘requires’.
In view of the debate
that had taken place, a further amendment was proposed by
Councillor Stanley to read as follows, further additions have been
shown in red bold with
deletions shown using strikethrough:
This
Council requires that strongly supports the use of
carbon neutral alternatives are found to replace
when installing heating systems into newly acquired assets
or existing council owned assets replacing
existing heating systems in Council owned properties
assets. , rather than replacing gas boilers with new gas
boilers. There are systems available and research for
alternatives to suit a variety of properties should start now,
so that Arun District Council is never again in the position of
having to renew a gas boiler so Officers are instructed to
incorporate this into the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business
Plan and other strategies for the management of our assets so we
can work towards the removal of all gas boilers in the interests of
this Council reaching its target of net zero
emissions.
The Chair, Councillor Gunner, seconded this further amendment.
Debate on the further amendment was invited where it was agreed that the Council needed to reprioritise an insulation programme. It was hoped that the funding that the Council could receive would achieve this. There was strong support for this further amendment which was accepted by the seconder to the first amendment – Councillor Walsh.
Upon putting the amendment to the amendment to the vote, it was declared CARRIED.
The Committee, therefore
RESOLVED
This Council strongly supports the use ofcarbon neutral alternatives when installing heating systems into newly acquired assets or existing council owned assets. There are systems available and research for alternatives to suit a variety of properties should start now, so Officers are instructed to incorporate this into the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan and other strategies for the management of our assets so we can work towards the removal of all gas boilers in the interests of this Council reaching its target of net zero emissions.