Agenda item

For information: The Future Oxfordshire Partnership endorsed the Oxfordshire Net Zero Route Map and Action Plan in March 2023, including a phased approach to the delivery of the identified joint actions. This report updates the Partnership on the steps taken to operationalise the actions agreed for inclusion in the first delivery phase.

The Partnership considered a report which provided an update on the steps taken to operationalise the actions agreed for inclusion in the first delivery phase of the Oxfordshire Net Zero Route Map and Action Plan, (NZRMAP) in March 2023. In addition, an update was provided on countywide greenhouse gas emissions. Sarah Gilbert, Head of Climate Action, Oxfordshire County Council introduced the report and gave a presentation highlighting key points of progress around:

·           Building Decarbonisation

·           Net Zero Energy

·           Cross cutting actions

·           Transport (Electric Vehicle Charge Points)

·           Nature recovery and carbon sequestration

In discussion, members of the Partnership welcomed what was an important update which set out the breadth of the Net Zero agenda that all partners were seeking to implement and deliver.

Regarding charging points for electric vehicles, Councillor Susan Brown commented on the demand from residents in Oxford, but also residents across the whole county, for on street charging solutions where provision of off-street charging points was not possible and referred to the difficulties in taking this work forward because of procurement challenges. In her view, representations on the issue should be made to HM Government because it needed to understand the effect the restrictions on the roll out of EV charge points and the preferability of using local suppliers where it was appropriate to do so.

Councillor Andy Graham referred to the need to implement Net Zero programmes at scale and referred to the work being headed by the District Councils Network, (DCN) to develop a plan for retro fit across some 170 district areas. He suggested that the Partnership should align with this work to achieve a much roll out of retrofit measures.

In response to a question, Sarah Gilbert clarified that as referred to in para 20 of the report, £1.2m of retrofit initiatives had been delivered in the 2024/2025 financial year as of August 2024. The initial tranche of houses retrofitted had been delivered at an average cost of £15,000 whereas it was expected that the average costs of the second tranche of homes would be slightly lower average cost. A map of homes retrofitted across the county could be provided on request to show the geographical spread of delivery and it was highlighted that funding for this scheme was aimed at properties not connected to the national gas grid.

Regarding the scaling up of retrofitting, a challenge existed around appropriately splitting roles. Experience so far tended to indicate that local retrofitting schemes operated more effectively than nationally led ones because of additional knowledge and connections of those that would benefit from retrofit locally, but it was a question of seeking to find the correct balance. She indicated that she would contact officers at West Oxfordshire District Council regarding the specific DCN initiative Councillor Graham had referred to.

Following further discussion of the procurement challenges around on-street EV charging points, there was support for the drafting of a letter on behalf of the Partnership to the relevant minister to seek their support for procurement regulation changes and officers were asked to consider this outside of the meeting.

Councillor David Rouane commented that because current environmental building standards did not go far enough, more new homes were still being completed every day that would require retrofitting in the future to meet Net Zero standard was far in excess of the number of older homes that had been retrofitted. Councillor Bethia Thomas highlighted the importance of retrofit training schemes and apprenticeships in order to deliver retrofitting schemes.

RESOLVED:

1.     That the report and activity underway to implement the Oxfordshire Net Zero Route Map and Action Plan be noted.

2.     That the countywide greenhouse gas emissions update be noted.