The Climate Scrutiny Committee of Waltham Forest Council met on Thursday, 26 March 2026, to discuss progress on climate action and the council's approach to improving energy efficiency in homes. The meeting's agenda included updates on national policy shifts affecting the social housing sector's retrofit response, a review of the council's overall climate action progress, and a report on the committee's scrutiny activities.

Delivering Warmer Homes: National Policy Shifts and the Social Housing Sector's Retrofit Response

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on efforts to improve the energy efficiency of social rented homes in Waltham Forest, in light of recent government announcements concerning energy bills and fossil fuel reliance. The report outlined the steps being taken by the largest Registered Providers in the borough to enhance home energy efficiency and prepare for upcoming regulatory requirements. This discussion followed a previous report in November 2025 on the 'Retrofitting Council Homes'.

Key to this discussion was the government's £15bn Warm Homes Plan, aiming to upgrade five million homes by 2030 to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions. The plan includes a £5bn commitment to improving energy efficiency in low-income households, with anticipated funding for social homes. New regulations, including a Decent Homes Standard (DHS) and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES), are being introduced, with MEES requiring homes to achieve at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of 'C' by 2030. The report noted that approximately 75% of council homes in Waltham Forest currently meet this standard under the existing calculation method (SAP10).

The report also detailed current council initiatives, such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2.2 project, which aims to retrofit 175 council homes. As of February 2026, 151 homes had received wall and loft insulation and improved ventilation, with 141 also having solar panels installed, achieving at least an EPC 'C' rating. Furthermore, the council is participating in the Warm Homes Social Housing Wave 3 grant funding through a consortium bid, which will see solar panels, loft insulation, and improved ventilation installed on 100 council homes.

The report also examined the energy performance of homes managed by Registered Providers in Waltham Forest, noting that approximately 53% of around 14,700 properties are rated EPC 'C' or above. This suggests that around 47%, or roughly 6,907 homes, will require retrofitting or exemption registration by 2030. Specific attention was given to the largest providers: Peabody Housing Association, London & Quadrant (L&Q), and Clarion Housing Association, detailing their current retrofit approaches, challenges such as data accuracy and competing financial pressures, and future strategies for meeting the MEES.

Climate Action Progress

This report was scheduled to set out the council's priorities and activities for the upcoming financial year, building on the momentum of the Climate Action Plan published in 2022. It highlighted that UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 34% in Waltham Forest over the last 10 years up to 2023, with the borough ranking seventh nationally for lowest total emissions. Housing and transport remain the largest sources of emissions, accounting for 42% and 29% respectively.

The report detailed progress in energy-efficient buildings, including the Warm Homes Local Grant (WHLG), which has secured £3,369,723 for improvements to lower-income households. The council has invested £1.9 million in the first year of the WHLG, improving 140 homes with energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, including solar panels. Further funding has been secured to improve at least another 100 homes. For households not eligible for means-tested improvements, the council administers an Energy Upgrade Loan, which has been oversubscribed and is now in its second round, offering interest-free loans for home energy performance improvements. Across all council projects since 2020, a total of 4,396 homes have been improved. The report also mentioned the Carbon Offset Fund, which has allocated almost £4.2 million to 31 projects since 2016, resulting in significant CO2e savings and various environmental improvements.

In terms of a greener, more resilient borough, the council secured £354,549 in Green Roots funding from the GLA to enhance green spaces. The Lower Floods initiative has successfully installed 1,600 free water-butts to tackle flooding. Regarding waste management, an outreach team has supported residents in reducing waste and increasing recycling rates, with food waste tonnage collected increasing by 19.3% and dry recycling by over 13.5%. Eight Repair Reuse Fairs have been held since 2024, diverting 6.4 tonnes of waste from landfill.

For transport, 1,039 Bikehangars have been installed, providing secure cycle parking for over 6,200 residents, and the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging network has expanded to 1,730 sockets. The council has also adopted an EV salary sacrifice scheme for staff, contributing to emissions reduction and cost savings.

The report also touched upon leading and inspiring collective action, noting the Climate Resident Panel, which channels community voice into council decisions, and the Climate newsletter with over 4,200 subscribers. The forward plan for the coming year includes priorities in Nature Recovery and Adaptation, Home energy efficiency, Sustainable consumption, and Council emissions, with secured external funding to accelerate progress.

The Scrutiny Report

This item served as the final meeting of the municipal year and provided an opportunity for the committee to review its activities and suggest items for the upcoming 2026-27 cycle. The committee was invited to review and comment on the Action Tracker, which captures tasks assigned to officers, and the Recommendations Tracker, which details the committee's conclusions on service improvements. The report also included a draft summary of the committee's activity for the 2025-26 municipal year, intended for the Scrutiny Annual Report.

The committee was asked to consider potential future agenda items, including bringing the Green and Blue Infrastructure map to a future meeting, an item on school engagement, a report on carbon offset grants, and discussions with community groups and housing providers about their climate action plans. Suggestions were also made for report authors to consider how climate initiatives are communicated and monitored, and for a dedicated item on climate communication. The report also confirmed that no key decisions falling under the remit of this scrutiny committee were scheduled.