Agenda item

The SW Net Zero Hub have been invited to attend and share expertise with the committee in relation to financing sustainability initiatives, particularly:

·       Measures required by councils to become funding ready and attract investors.

·       Good practice in other councils.

The South West Net Zero Hub gave a presentation to the committee a copy of which appears as an Appendix to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The hub talked the committee through the work they do and how they helped local authorities with their net zero goals.

They developed and delivered net zero policies with a purpose of helping local authorities to move from net zero ambition to practical public delivery. They also provided impartial advice, technical support and project development funding.

It was stated that the focus for BCP would need to be how projects were currently delivered.  Readiness was another key point with understanding sites and partners and the role to play. 

Delivery would need more than availability and different funding methods.  They would need to be meaningful with practical suggestions.

The hub would work with BCP for a couple of years in a partnership role which would support the council and community energy groups. There was funding coming from Great British Energy sporadically, but it was unclear how much.  The committee were informed that there was a development fund to support revenue and not capital.

It was stated that quick wins were large scale solar car ports and roof top solar.  Sites would be looked at, then commercial buildings and the assets. The first steps would be understanding assets and knowledge sharing with other LAs.  The SWNZH was willing to help access learning and knowledge and sharing sessions between councils.

It was suggested that the Council could work with local groups and have a community energy team.  Encouraging schools to invest in solar panels is another approach to take however that can be difficult due the schools funding.

It was discussed that BCP could find the following ways to focus resource to generate income:

Have consistency and momentum. 

Dorset community energy was doing work in the area, work with them. 

Progress work on estates.

The Chair thanked the SWNZH for attending the meeting and their presentation.

The Chair asked the Portfolio Holder to find a way that the council could focus a resource on accelerating those projects as much as possible as those examples of Portsmouth and Southampton, where they're actually generating good income and can afford to go on and do the less easy to access projects is really where we want to be. Also just keeping that, momentum in place.

Dorset Community Energy, did quite a lot of work elsewhere in Dorset. They were keen to do work within BCP, and we had been talking with them to see if we have any suitable roofs for them to use that they effectively invite the public to invest money in the scheme. The had also done a number of schools and some co-housing. Officers had been doing a lot of work trying to progress our own estate, particularly the corporate estate. Solar was put on the cafe on by Bournemouth Pier this winter. The portfolio holder had discussions around a revolving funding where the council would invest in solar panels, and the owners would make a saving, and the Council would get some of that back for another roof. Work on that was already underway.