Decision details

Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP)

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

Adoption of the Lancaster District Local Area Energy Plan

Decisions:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Stubbins)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer – Planning and Climate Change that sought adoption of the Lancaster District Local Area Energy Plan.

 

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

 

 

Option 1: Adopt LAEP and task officers to explore a Delivery Plan

Option 2: Do not adopt the LAEP

Advantages

The LAEP can help the Council shape future Net Zero policies, strategies and guide efforts locally.

 

It provides high-level cost estimates for large-scale energy decarbonisation and may be used to support any future funding opportunities.

 

The LAEP provides a series of interventions needed to deliver Net Zero and allows the Council to better appreciate the pace and scale it needs to work at to deliver a 2040 target.

 

Adoption of the LAEP and delivering the next phase of work will allow the Council to review delivery models, determine its future role and confirm ambition and appetite.

A decision to not adopt the LAEP (and the subsequent Delivery Plan work) has little benefit. The only advantage would be that there would be no additional resource or funding requirements.

Disadvantages

The LAEP has quantified the investment needed to reach net

zero and there will be significant costs, which at this stage cannot be fully evaluated.

 

Current officer capacity is fully allocated on delivering the Council’s own Net Zero 2030 target for Scope 1 emissions. Depending on the delivery vehicle chosen, additional resource in the longer-term may be needed to deliver the recommendations of the LAEP.

The Council has ambitions to support the net zero transition for other businesses, individuals and organisations across the district. This cannot be done effectively without a comprehensive energy decarbonisation strategy.

 

The LAEP may act as an evidence base for future external funding opportunities. These may be missed if not adopted and resourced.

Risks

There are no direct risks arising from a decision to adopt the LAEP. Any risks will be associated with the costs of delivering (and resourcing) individual projects, which will be separately assessed as part of the eventual Delivery Plan. It will be for Cabinet to determine, on the basis of the more detailed work that follows, how to proceed with implementation.

There is a considerable risk that the absence of a LAEP will result in missed opportunities for financial funding (should opportunities arise).

 

There is also reputational risk to the local authority for failure to advance proposals for decarbonising the district.

 

The reputational risk pales into insignificance alongside the risks to residents and businesses within the district if the impacts of climate change cannot be mitigated. The LAEP is an example of how one district can make a difference.

 

 

The officer preferred option is to adopt the LAEP, inform the Council’s wider strategies and to task officers with exploring a Delivery Plan for implementation.

 

In choosing to adopt the LAEP, Cabinet will acknowledge the challenges, particularly regarding cost and scale, that will support the level of ambition. Resources will need to match these ambitions to enable delivery of the plan. External funding and private investment will inevitably be required to deliver capital projects to support residents and the wider community.

 

Officers agreed that a Member Briefing would be arranged to keep members fully informed.

 

Councillor Stubbins proposed, seconded by Councillor Hamilton-Cox:-

 

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

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

 

(1)        That the Local Area Energy Plan be fully adopted to provide the necessary high level strategic direction for the Council’s wider strategy for net zero energy transition for the Lancaster District.

 

(2)        That following adoption of the LAEP, officers be subsequently tasked with exploring detailed delivery plan options, and to report these back to Cabinet for consideration.

 

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Chief Officer Planning and Climate Change

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision is consistent with the Council Plan:  The adoption of the LAEP supports the themes within the Council Plan, particularly for the Council to be net zero carbon by 2030 while supporting other individuals, businesses, and organisations across the district to reach the same goal.

 

The decision also supports the Planning & Climate Change Service Business Plan 2024-2025 : The objectives of the report directly support and complement the Service Business Plan objectives which mirror the ambitions ion the Council Plan, most notably 1.1 (Carbon Zero), 1.2 (Sustainable Energy), and 4.2 (Partnership).

 

The LAEP model identifies the most cost-effective and integrated plan for the Council to contribute to timebound national and local Net Zero targets whilst maximising co[1]benefits to society. The work required is significant, but the LAEP provides the Council with a clear and well-defined roadmap to enable it to make a start on reducing district energy emissions.

 

Ongoing partnership with the key LAEP stakeholders will be essential to ensure plans are aligned and priority projects agreed. Following any decision to adopt, officers will report back to cabinet once detailed Delivery Plan work is completed.

Report author: Elliott Grimshaw

Publication date: 25/10/2024

Date of decision: 22/10/2024

Decided at meeting: 22/10/2024 - Cabinet

Effective from: 02/11/2024

Accompanying Documents: