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The Warm Homes: Local Grant, a government
funded scheme in England aimed to improve the energy efficiency of
homes and reduce fuel poverty for low-income households was part of
the broader Warm Homes Plan, which aimed to upgrade 5 million homes
within the next 5 years and support the transition to net zero by
2050. 
 
The Borough Council had provisionally been
awarded £1.5m of the Warm Homes: Local Grant funding to
improve the energy efficiency of fuel poor homes in its district
and help to deliver a wider net zero programme. 
 
Due regard was given to the financial and
value for money considerations and the assessment of risk detailed
in the report.  Members were advised of
the scheme constraint that Administration and Ancillary (A&A)
cost of delivery must not exceed 15% of the capital
spend.  This presented a high financial
and reputational risk to the Council which could not be fully
mitigated.
 
Consideration had been given options for
delivery of the project, however the financial modelling schemes at
Annex 1 and 2 to the reports showed that the scheme was not
financially viable.
 
On the grounds of significant financial and
reputational risk in delivering the scheme, Cllr Coffin proposed,
seconded by Cllr Boughton and Cabinet
 
RESOLVED: That
 
(1)       
the Warm Homes: Local Grant funding be declined on the basis that
the reputational and financial risk to the Council was too high;
and
 
(2)       
the Government be advised that although the Council wished to
deliver these improvements in residents’ homes across the
borough, the scheme set up and constraints made it too high a risk
to accept the funding.