Annex 2: Current activity and resources
The table below captures a range of current activity within each of the priority action areas identified by City Science. As set out in the report to FOP, officers are recommending a phased delivery approach, with the additional actions being considered for inclusion in a later phase.
Programme |
No |
Action |
Current activity |
Resourcing |
|
||
|
Existing resources |
Resource gaps |
|||||
Buildings decarbonisation |
1 |
Expand and scale-up retrofit delivery |
· Delivery of grant funded retrofit programme underway (LAD3 and HUG1) · Funding bid of £6.4 million submitted to retrofit 310 homes over next 2 years · Delivery of grant funded Pioneer Places programme (led by Oxford City Council) to develop a ‘Future Fit One Stop Shop’ to accelerate uptake and delivery of retrofit |
· Existing post within the Oxfordshire County Council climate action team can provide convening lead |
· Grant funding streams expected to cover households not-able-to-pay
|
|
|
2 |
Scale up programmes to address the retrofit skills gap. |
· Initial discussions, roundtable event due in late March 2023 |
· OxLEP officer input, supported by Oxfordshire County Council climate action team |
· To be identified |
|
||
3 |
Develop a collective purchasing approach that supports the widespread deployment of rooftop solar on existing buildings |
· Previous Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership (ZCOP) sprint group |
· Existing post within the Oxfordshire County Council climate action team provides project management resource |
· No additional cost to develop approach; working group will consider funding options at appropriate stage. |
|
||
Energy system decarbonisation |
4
|
Develop an on-going local area energy planning (LAEP) function |
· Work undertaken in Project LEO (data and mapping to support energy planning and the identification of optimal locations, via the LAEP approach)[1] · Local authority workshop planned in March 2023 |
· New post in County Council (due Q2 2023) provides technical support · Potential support from distribution network operators later in 2023 · Officer time (climate action teams and local planning authorities). |
· Delivery of technical LAEP via consultancy estimated cost is £150k
|
|
|
Tranpsort decarbonisation (EV infrastructure) |
5 |
Collaborate with town and parish councils to accelerate the roll out of publicly accessible EV charge points |
· Recent completion of park and charge project; national funding allocation to support roll out of EV charge points in Oxfordshire announced Feb 2023
|
· Convened by County EV team |
|
|
|
Enabling actions |
6 |
Share knowledge in the preparation of Local Plans and development of net zero policies |
· ZCOP sprint group activity supporting Oxford Local Plan policies · Salt Cross Area Action Plan - zero carbon approach to new build · Sustainable development checklist
|
· Existing staff resources |
· No additional resources required for initial scoping phase: collaboration supports efficiency through shared work (e.g. carbon offsetting). · Working group will consider whether further resource may be required to support development of evidence base / toolkits and will consider options at appropriate stage. |
|
|
7 |
Explore new funding mechanisms to support delivery of net zero actions |
· Early discussions · Financial gap analysis work (e.g. on retrofit programme)
|
· Delivery within existing staff resources |
· To be identified through working group |
|
||
Transport decarbonisation |
8 |
Develop a strategic active travel network |
· Area-based travel plans to support the objectives of the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (e.g. Central Oxfordshire) |
· Existing resources available to support development of programme |
|
|
|
9 |
Develop tailored and place-based transport demand management campaign |
· Current activity limited to developing travel plans for a number of schools |
· Limited resource · No current programme |
· Additional funding will be required to support development of programme (staff resource, communications and engagement) |
|
||
10 |
Identify and deliver low emissions freight charging and last mile delivery hubs at suitable sites across the county |
· ZCOP sprint group · County council work on the Oxfordshire Freight and Logistics Strategy |
· Existing resource in County Council supports work · Funding secured for a feasibility study. · Planning officer time to consider locations |
· Development of the Oxfordshire Freight & Logistics Strategy would enable strategic approach to be developed and agreed, but no capacity or funding for delivery |
|
||
Circular economy |
11 |
Identify existing activities across Oxfordshire which contributes to the development of a circular economy including green skills, waste management, design and manufacture. |
· Early discussions |
· tbc |
· To be identified through working group |
|
|
Carbon sequestration |
|
Explore opportunities to enhance carbon sequestration through land use change, including targeted habitat restoration and creation. |
Early discussions via LNP
|
LNP manager |
· Estimated £100k project management role (18 months) to coordinate development of the land based carbon sequestration investment approach
|
|
|
Net zero councils |
14 |
Embed climate change into decision making across Oxfordshire’s local authorities. |
Climate Impact Assessment tool available in county council to assess relative climate impact of capital projects and other at-scale initiatives (e.g. service delivery plans, policies) Staff carbon literacy and specialist training programmes in progress
|
Existing staff resources support delivery
|
|
|
|
|
15 |
Embed net zero carbon and circular economy principles into procurement processes across Oxfordshire’s local authorities. |
|
Existing staff resources support delivery
|
|
|
|
[1] Project Local Energy Oxfordshire (LEO) is an ambitious, wide-ranging and innovative trial, seeking to accelerate the UK's transition to a zero-carbon energy carbon system - including the use of enhanced mapping data to identify deployment opportunities across a range of low carbon technologies (including EV charge points and heat pumps) and inform long-term energy strategies and plans.