Five areas of the North West are to share £52m to improve the energy performance of 7,000 homes and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is taking charge of the scheme. Tony McDonough reports
A £52m programme to improve the energy performance of 7,000 homes across the North West is to be overseen by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (CA).
It is the North West’s share of a £500m Government pot that will enable local authorities to directly deliver Green Home Grants to disadvantaged households and is being administered by the North West Energy Hub.
The cash will be shared across five areas of the North West: Liverpool city region will get £11.3m; Cheshire and Warrington, £6.4m; Lancashire, £11.6m; Greater Manchester, £17.6m; and Cumbria, £5.07m.£11.3m
The CA will distribute the money to local authorities across the North West, acting in consortia within each Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area, so that they can deliver the improvements locally. It will retain responsibility for reporting progress to Government.
Cllr Rob Polhill, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Portfolio Holder for Low Carbon and Renewable Energy, said: “Making homes more energy efficient has a wide range of important benefits, including tackling fuel poverty, reducing carbon emissions and creating good quality jobs for local people.
“The Liverpool city region is proud to take the lead on this project, which will be delivered by local authorities across the North West and will make a difference to the lives of some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged residents, as well as contributing to our progress to net zero carbon.”
Green Home Grants (GHG) are an economic stimulus measure to retrofit households and create jobs. Government has allocated the second phase of Local Authority Delivery (LAD2) funding for GHG to the North West. LAD 2 is targeted at vulnerable households. The housing retrofit programme is to be delivered by the end of 2021.
The Local Authority Delivery Phase 2 scheme is distinct from the from the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, delivered as a national programme, which is open to “able to pay” and low income households.