To seek approval to accept £50,000 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for the development of a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) wide energy strategy.

These funds present an opportunity to bring together work already completed across the Marches LEP, build upon the existing work and bring it together into a single document which will also identify any relevant gaps necessary to inform strategy development.

The grant will fund the development of an energy strategy taking into account the updated evidence base and undertaking a programme of extensive stakeholder engagement in order to shape the following outcomes:

•           Identification of the energy opportunities, challenges and resultant priorities;

•           Development of an LEP-wide action plan.

•           Identification of funding options to deliver low carbon energy projects.

Outcomes of this work will feed into the 2017 review of the Strategic Economic Plan which sets out LEP economic growth priorities and identifies opportunities for strategic project and programme development.

The information will be used in working with stakeholders to more effectively plan and programme strategic site development, ensuring this happens in full knowledge of business demand, low carbon options and alignment of public and private investment.

Carbon reduction opportunities for the future through the delivery of the strategy.  

This funding opportunity provides Herefordshire Council the opportunity to lead the energy strategy, which is likely to lead to energy benefits for Herefordshire.

Considers infrastructure and supply which is a key energy security consideration going forward. This includes clean growth, energy storage and grid technologies which are highly applicable to the future vision of the LEP area.

Not to accept the funds and not to proceed.

•           If the council chooses not to proceed, the allocated funds would not be drawn and the LEP-wide energy strategy work would not be undertaken.