Agenda item

The Chair invited Jacob Coburn, Adviser, to introduce the report.

Jacob introduced the report which set out the current barriers to the retrofit sector, the implications that retrofit would have on the work undertaken by councils, and changes that could be implemented to support retrofit skills and employment to develop effectively and at speed. In parallel, officers of the LGA’s Environment, Economy, Housing and Transport Board continued to look at approaches to ‘whole-place’ street/neighbourhood decarbonisation, including buildings and transport. The Board’s work would make recommendations to policy makers, national and local partners, and local authorities across the UK. Both pieces of work would give the LGA a clear policy position and strategy for retrofit.

Board Members made a number of comments and asked questions which related to the following points:

• The importance of creating a market with adequate capacity for investment in the skills base.
• Businesses transitioning skills-wise to become green and sustainable for the future.
• Long-term certainty and growth.
• Skills collaboration.
• Technical and management skills.
• The government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme and the need to retrofit homes appropriately.
• The lack of capacity for colleges to offer specific training courses.

Jacob responded to Board Members’ comments. He confirmed that the Employment and Skills report had been submitted to the EEHT Board, who had used the information contained within it to shape a place-based, retrofit paper. The paper and its findings would be submitted to a future meeting of the Board.

Decision:

• Board Members noted the report.

Action:

• Officers to submit an update report to the next meeting of the Board.
• Officers to liaise with Cllr Hinchcliffe outside of the meeting regarding the challenges of the ECO scheme.