Agenda item - Creation of a Greater Brighton Retrofit Task Force

Report of the Chair, Greater Brighton Officer Programme Board

1)             That the Board expresses support of working together on a city region wide project, led by Lewes District Council and the University of Brighton, to find the best solutions in the decarbonisation of council owned housing stock. The board acknowledges that this agreement is in principle whilst some of the detail continues to be worked through noting that local authority members will need to approve to proceed through their own processes.

2)             The Board agrees for the regional Task Force to be established at speed and delegates the authority for this group to lead on the work.

3)             The Board agrees that the governance arrangements for the Task Force are that it reports back on emerging findings to the Greater Brighton Economic Board in April 2022, with the completed Asset Management Plan and Roadmap in October 2022. 

8.1          The Board considered a report of the Chair, Greater Brighton Officer Programme Board that sought approval for the establishment a Greater Brighton City Region Retrofit Task Force to ensure the city-region’s homes and buildings are fit for a zero-carbon future. This work will be overseen by Lewes District Council and led by the University of Brighton.

8.2          The Chair stated that Crawley had undertaken some work in this area and were happy to share that and assist with work going forward.

8.3          Councillor Allcock welcomed the report and asked if locally based suppliers and people could be appointed to undertake the work and what thoughts had been given into bring private landlords into the scheme.

8.4          Ian Fitzpatrick confirmed that the community wealth building would be a central part of the project delivery and there were methods to bring in the private sector such as offering parts and materials at the same cost as the public sector price.

8.5          Councillor Nicholson welcomed the report that was the starting point toward a much bigger ambition. A key factor in the success of the scheme would be collective working, local training and skills development and boosting local supply chains.

8.6          RESOLVED-

1)             That the Board expresses support of working together on a city region wide project, led by Lewes District Council and the University of Brighton, to find the best solutions in the decarbonisation of council owned housing stock. The board acknowledges that this agreement is in principle whilst some of the detail continues to be worked through noting that local authority members will need to approve to proceed through their own processes.

2)             The Board agrees for the regional Task Force to be established at speed and delegates the authority for this group to lead on the work.

3)             The Board agrees that the governance arrangements for the Task Force are that it reports back on emerging findings to the Greater Brighton Economic Board in April 2022, with the completed Asset Management Plan and Roadmap in October 2022.