Issue - meetings

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)

Report of Chief Officer (Environment) – Report to Follow

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officers (Resources), (Environment) and (Health & Housing) which sought approval of the Energy Strategy. The report presented Cabinet with the results of a feasibility study into a municipal solar farm and sought permission to progress the project to the planning stage, updating Cabinet’s budget proposals accordingly.

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

Energy Strategy / Action Plan

Cabinet has already agreed these in principle. The current versions are presented in Appendix A1, A2 to the report. Cabinet is requested to approve these, as working documents to inform other corporate strategies, resource allocation and prioritisation.  They clearly define the scope of the Council’s activity in this area, within the context of the Council’s strategic, financial and operating capacity and set meaningful targets.

Update on Renewable Energy Projects- The action plan in Appendix A2 provides progress with these. However in summary-

·                    Biomass boilers- a strategic approach to energy management on the Council’s estate is being taken. Rather than just embark on a biomass boiler installation programme a detailed assessment of individual buildings and how energy can be best managed within in them has been commissioned (starting initially with Salt Ayre Sport Centre). The assessment will recommend what energy management measures will provide the best value for money and sustainability. The results of the Salt Ayre assessment are expected soon. This will then help inform how capital funding allocated to already identified property issues will be spent, and whether any further investment is required.

·                    Biomass Supply Chain- for this to progress collaboration with a number of other authorities / organisations (including the County Council) is required. Early discussions have taken place and there is some interest. However, at this point in time the priority for most Councils is dealing with the immediate impact of central Government funding reductions. It is expected that if feasibility can be demonstrated this will be a more medium-term aim.

·                    Wind Turbine at Middleton- since the previous report to Cabinet it has been established that as things stand the most immediately advantageous use of the land would be for the location of a solar farm. Perhaps in the future, a solar farm as described below would not necessarily preclude this option also, at least in simple site terms, although clearly this does not consider or address the operational, planning and financial and implications.

·                    Municipal Solar Farm on Council land at Middleton- a detailed feasibility study has been commissioned. This and further supporting information is provided in Appendix B1, B2, B3, B4 (All Exempt). The feasibility study demonstrates that the most advantageous route for the Council would be to develop a 5MW solar farm which would utilise approximately 15 hectares of the 40 hectare site that belongs to the Council. This would offer an indicative return of £4M in total over 20 years, from investment estimated at £5.2M.  In order to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92