Decision details

PSDS Decarbonisation of Sheltered Schemes

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Matthews)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Director for Communities and the Environment which sought Cabinet support to apply for further schemes and approve the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding. Should an offer be forthcoming it was noted that any final acceptance by a Director was subject to S151 officer consent following due diligence.

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

 

Option 1: Approve proposal in full

Advantages:

· Enables officers to continue working at pace and deliver the project within the required timeframes in line with the PSDS funding set out by the department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). A demonstration of how well this has worked is reflected in the SALC scheme.

· Project has the potential to deliver a CO2 saving from natural gas of a further 15% bringing the council’s total natural gas emissions down by as much as 50% by the end of 21/22.

 Disadvantages:

None

Risks:

· Procurement will be line with the council’s procurement strategy.

· Further due diligence on capital costs and revenue implications will come from the next phase of detailed design.

· Officers intend to review the Salix/BEIS T&Cs to ensure risks of not delivering by March 2022 are known, included in due diligence and mitigated where possible.

 

Option 2: Reject Proposal in full

Advantages:

 None.

Disadvantages:

 · Reject Transfer of funding between GF and HRA

o Project cannot be delivered. Surplus funding returned to Salix/BEIS once SALC project is completed.

· Reject delegated authority to CEX for the associated contracts

o Decision to award contract will require a cabinet decision, which would present and put the project at risk of not achieving the delivery deadline of March 2022.

Risks:

As above

 

 

 

The Officer Preferred Option is Option 1: Approve the Proposal.  That Cabinet support the proposal and enable officers to progress with the schemes in line with the required delivery deadline. The proposal effectively mirrors the previous arrangements and approvals provided for the original scheme at SALC.

 

Councillor Matthews proposed, seconded by Councillor Caroline Jackson:-

 

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

(1)        That Cabinet supports the application for further schemes and approve the PSDS funding should an offer be forthcoming noting that any final acceptance by a Director is subject to S151 officer consent following due diligence checks, in accordance with the Council’s own financial procedure rules.

 

(2)        That, subject to the acceptance of an offer for external funding, Cabinet approves the reallocation of £2M unspent funding in respect of further decarbonisation projects across the HRA and approve the necessary adjustments between the General Fund and HRA capital programmes.

 

(3)        That Cabinet supports the request to provide delegated authority to the Chief Executive to award the associated contracts when a decision is ready to be made.

 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Chief Executive

Director for Communities and the Environment

Chief Finance Officer

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision is consistent with the following priorities and cross-cutting themes:

·        An inclusive and prosperous local economy. A proportion of the overall evaluation will include an element of social value, in line with the procurement strategy and contract procedure rules.

·        Climate Emergency – Net zero 2030 ambition. Collectively, the sheltered schemes listed within the report produce 15% of the council’s natural gas emissions.

Publication date: 20/09/2021

Date of decision: 14/09/2021

Decided at meeting: 14/09/2021 - Cabinet

Effective from: 28/09/2021

Accompanying Documents: