Purpose

At its meeting of 18th January 2023, Council approved the use of UKSPF funds to fund works in pursuit of the council’s Climate Change Strategy and the UKSPF priorities for reducing green gas emissions.

At the same meeting, Council delegated decision-making on all environmental sustainability grants and contracts to the Head of Housing and Health acting in consultation with the Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability.

This decision is in pursuit of the delivery of the priorities of the council’s UKSPF funded environmental sustainability programme as originally approved by Council at its meeting of 18th January 2023, refined since by the Executive and Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability and most recently considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting of 5th March 2024.

Decision

Approve the allocation of £9,000 to fund Community Development Action (CDA) Hertfordshire and Utility Aid and East Herts Council to promote and deliver the production of decarbonisation plans for community halls in East Herts, which will identify works to reduce the halls’ carbon footprints, in line with the memorandum of understanding between CDA Hertfordshire, Utility Aid and East Herts Council.

Alternative options considered

Option 1 - Not provide grant funding for the production of community halls’ decarbonisation plans. NOT RECOMMENDED because (a) community halls in East Herts typically have limited funds for detailed survey works and (b) the decarbonisation plans will provide the necessary expert advice to enable the community halls and, potentially the council using UKSPF funds, to subsequently fund works to reduce the halls’ carbon emissions.
Option 2 - Approve the allocation of resources as discussed. APPROVED.