Issue - meetings

Renewable Energy Schemes in South Cambridgeshire Buildings

Meeting: 10/07/2008 - Climate Change Working Group (Item 6)

6 Utilising Renewable Energy Resources within South Cambridgeshire pdf icon PDF 3 MB

At the last meeting of the Working Group, members considered the emerging direction and draft content of the Enviros report that was commissioned earlier this year to review and analyse South Cambridgeshire’s renewable energy resources. The objective of this report is to prioritise appropriate Council and Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) activities that will help ensure that the district can make the best use of its renewable energy resources in directly and tangibly steering itself towards low-carbon living in a low-carbon economy. The brief for the report placed a particular emphasis upon community-focused options at the village/parish level.  The final report has now been completed with a presentation made to Council and LSP members and partners at a seminar on 4th July 2008.

 

Members are asked to consider what should be the key substantive content and format of a detailed phased and resourced implementation plan which takes account of:

i.)         the report’s conclusions;

ii.)        the output of the recent seminar, and;

iii.)       the current Local Public Service Agreement (LPSA) Reward Grant submission (£250k community-focused capital bid – considered and approved by members 17th January 2008).

 

The full Enviros report is attached for members’ consideration (and for reference a copy of the LPSA reward Grant bid). The relevant findings and outputs from the 4th July seminar will be presented verbally.

 

Maps enclosed with the paper copy of the agenda in black and white can be viewed in colour on the Council’s website by following the links from www.scambs.gov.uk/meetings > Committees

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members discussed the report at some length, focussing in particular on the following issues:

 

·                     the desirability of gathering information both from parishes with the benefit of mains gas and parishes without

·                     the need to select preferred technologies rather than trying to embrace every form of technology, some of which might not be appropriate within South Cambridgeshire

·                     risks to the Authority

·                     available resources

·                     effectiveness of investment

·                     the importance of making sure that the selection of parishes was sufficient to provide a meaningful set of data

·                     the relevance of public buildings within the overall aim

·                     the community leadership role of the Climate Change Working Group

 

Members agreed to consider the report in more detail at an informal meeting on 17 July 2008.


Meeting: 25/01/2007 - Council (Item 7)

From Mr David White to the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder

1.                  Wind turbines and solar panels are becoming readily available, even sold in B&Q now.  Why are council and other grants only available if these energy saving devices are professionally installed when an installation inspection team already exist in your Building Control Department?  Can the system be changed so that self installed units also receive any grants that may be available and thus encourage more people to save or generate energy.  I feel sure there are many other people like me who are perfectly capable of installing this equipment and keen to do so.

 

2.                  It is now agreed that the effects of climate change are serious and will become more so.  Quite rightly the required level of insulation in new buildings has to be of a much higher level but why do the Building Inspectors still not include this as one of their inspections?  Most builders, I'm sure, meet the requirements but there must be some that do not.  These are never caught.

 

Wouldn’t it be good if South Cambs became a Beacon Council for its renewable energy and climate change initiatives?

Minutes:

Mr David White asked the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder the following question:

 

1.                  Wind turbines and solar panels are becoming readily available, even sold in B&Q now.  Why are council and other grants only available if these energy saving devices are professionally installed when an installation inspection team already exists in your Building Control Department?  Can the system be changed so that self installed units also receive any grants that may be available and thus encourage more people to save or generate energy?  I feel sure there are many other people like me who are perfectly capable of installing this equipment and keen to do so.

 

2.                  It is now agreed that the effects of climate change are serious and will become more so.  Quite rightly the required level of insulation in new buildings has to be of a much higher level but why do the Building Inspectors still not include this as one of their inspections?  Most builders, I'm sure, meet the requirements but there must be some that do not.  These are never caught.

 

Wouldn’t it be good if South Cambs became a Beacon Council for its renewable energy and climate change initiatives?

 

Councillor JA Hockney, Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder, advised that the Low Carbon Buildings Grant scheme was an EEC3 initiative provided by the utilities. The Council was focussed on promoting such schemes but had no control over them.

 

As a supplementary question Mr. White advised that he hoped the number of energy efficiency devices used in the district could be increased and asked for assurance that the Council would apply pressure on government to encourage such activities further. He advised Council that he was aware of a grant scheme whereby residents could be given funding to help develop renewable energy in their homes. The Chairman requested that Mr White provide further details of the scheme.

 

The Chairman of Council advised that the Council was aware of the need to reduce its carbon footprint and assured Mr White that achieving Beacon Council status for renewable energy and climate change initiatives would be an excellent thing. Councillor JA Hockney, Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder, advised that the Council’s new Sustainability Officer commenced employment in February 2007. He undertook to raise these matters with the new officer. Councillor Hockney went on to advise Mr White of detailed provisions regarding current statutory and non-statutory requirements in respect of energy efficiency as applied to Building Regulations and undertook to forward details in writing.


Meeting: 23/11/2006 - Council (Item 14)

Standing in the Name of Cllr R Page: Renewable Energy Schemes in New Buildings

In view of the urgent need to address the issues involved with global warming, particularly as they apply to the new developments imposed on South Cambridgeshire, this Council will require developers to incorporate 50% renewable energy schemes into all new building work involving groups of five houses or more – or their workplace equivalents.

 

Note: this motion will require a seconder before it may be debated. 

Minutes:

Motion deemed withdrawn in accordance with Standing Order 12.3. 


Meeting: 26/10/2006 - Council (Item 5)

From Councillor SGM Kindersley to the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder

What steps are being taken to minimise the impact of a major increase in householder planning applications for domestic wind turbines given that they are now available from companies such as B&Q for £1498 inclusive? As they require planning consent is there any developing policy to fastrack the applications and/or reduce the planning application fee to encourage sustainability?

Minutes:

Councillor SGM Kindersley asked the following question:

 

“What steps are being taken to minimise the impact of a major increase in householder planning applications for domestic wind turbines given that they are now available from companies such as B&Q for £1498 inclusive? As they require planning consent is there any developing policy to fastrack the applications and/or reduce the planning application fee to encourage sustainability?”

 

In the absence of the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, Councillor Dr DR Bard, Leader of the Council, drew Councillor Kindersley’s attention to a forthcoming article in the Council’s magazine on the subject. He advised that, at present, domestic wind turbines required planning permission, however it was anticipated that the Government would produce legislation which would allow turbines to be constructed under Permitted Development Rights. Councillor Dr Bard did not anticipate that the Council would be inundated by requests for planning permission, given that there were likely to be few locations in the district where average wind speed was sufficient for the turbines to operate effectively. In many areas residents should be encouraged to invest in alternative energy-saving technologies which were likely to be less expensive and more effective.

 

As a Supplementary Question Councillor SGM Kindersley asked the Leader of the Council to focus on the question of fast tracking applications. In addition he requested that the Council develop a policy in respect of domestic wind turbines with a degree of urgency.

 

The Leader of the Council confirmed that the issue of domestic wind turbines would be considered in the development of local planning policy. He advised, however, that in due course he expected the majority of applications to be determined under Officers’ delegated powers.

 

There followed a brief debate on the issue of domestic wind turbines; it was considered that the Climate Change group established at the last meeting would have a key role to play in encouraging the development of this and other energy-saving initiatives.