The Corporate Head of Housing explained that the communal heating systems at two of the Council’s Independent Retirement Living (IRL) properties were at the end of their life, and provided three options for their replacement.

1)    A like-for-like replacement of gas communal boiler replacing gas communal boiler

2)    Gas boiler to be replaced by an air source heat pump

3)    Gas boiler to be replaced by a ground source heat pump

Options two or three would significantly reduce carbon emissions and assist in moving the Council towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, however the increased electricity use of these options would increase residents’ fuel bills, despite residents being individually metered and having more control over usage.

A long debate of the options ensued, and whilst many Committee members initially favoured one of the heat pump options, a number of factors complicated the matter.

The IRL at Heatherfields sits within the proposed Parkside regeneration area, and officers explained whilst it would be technically possible to move a heat pump into a different location should the building be demolished as part of the regeneration, it was unlikely that anyone would be prepared to carry out the work due to invalidating the warranty.

Furthermore, heat pumps are designed for the buildings they serve and were highly unlikely to be effective in a different building, particularly with considerable additional measures required to make it efficient, which would be expensive and disruptive to residents.  Officers acknowledged the difficult balance between energy efficiency, use of taxpayers’ money and the need to be energy efficient, and believed there would be other measures that could be taken – such as the investment in solar panels and insulation – that would provide a greater environmental gain.

Officers emphasised the urgency of the work required, with the boilers already past their sell by date and replacement parts increasingly difficult to obtain.  It was added that replacement gas boilers would be a significant upgrade on the existing boilers, with SMART systems in place to make them more efficient.

The Corporate Head of Housing confirmed that budget was in place within the Asset Management Plan to replace gas boilers like-for-like, and whilst it was aimed to bring all properties in the borough to an energy C rating by 2026 – four years ahead of target – there were currently no plans or available funding to take properties beyond a C rating.

The Committee Chair confirmed that enquiries had been made about having gas boilers with interchangeable parts to enable a future move to a hydrogen supply, however this technology was still around a decade away.

Committee concluded that they had sufficient information to make a decision on Heatherfield IRL, but asked officers for more information before making a decision on Floral House IRL, which would be heard at a Special Committee.  Officers confirmed that delaying the decision by around a month would not have a significant impact on the overall timescale.

Committee asked officers to provide information in a future report for Floral House of the considerations when taking a fabric first approach, including cost, heat efficiency, level of work and disruption, as well as an assessment of other measures that could be used as part of carbon offsetting.

A Member also asked for information on an electric option similar to the solution at Grove Court to be provided within the options.

The Committee Chair asked officers to arrange a retrofit assessment on Floral House.  Whilst officers were sceptical that the assessment would prove viable for heat pumps, and the cost of such an assessment was unknown, it was confirmed that the lessons learned from such an exercise could be utilised at future locations.

A named vote was requested on each of the proposed recommendations, and the voting was as follows:

Recommendation 1:

Due to the potential redevelopment of the area and limited lifespan of alternative solutions, Committee resolved to proceed with a gas boiler replacement for Heatherfields IRL.

For (8)

Cllrs J. Gracey, J. Hulley, S. Dennett, C. Howorth, R. King, P. Snow, S. Whyte, S. Williams

Against (0)

-

Abstain (1)

Cllr M. Cressey

The recommendation was passed.

Recommendation 2:

Officers to bring back comparisons for other environmental efficiency measures and further information on the potential impact on cost for heating options for Floral House IRL.

For (7)

Cllrs J. Gracey, S. Dennett, C. Howorth, R. King, P. Snow, S. Whyte, S. Williams

Against (1)

Cllr J. Hulley

Abstain (1)

Cllr M. Cressey

Cllr J. Hulley wished for it to be recorded that he voted against the recommendation as he did not wish to consider an option that would result in increased fuel bills for residents.

The recommendation was passed.