This report seeks approval for the council to participate in an extension to the current Warm Homes Fund project which will support an additional 200 plus fuel poor households in Herefordshire to access funding for first time central heating systems and energy advice through the project.

The original decision, made in December 2018, can be found here and approved the proposals for Herefordshire to act as accountable body and add the relevant funding to the capital programme, define eligibility as per 3 and 4 below and for the Acting Assistant Director for Regulatory, Environment and Waste Services to take operational decisions necessary to implement the project.

As the additional funding offer requires a change to the current delivery model, this report also seeks authority to vary our current agreement with the Warm Homes Fund and to establish a collaborative governance structure with Shropshire Council who will act as the accountable body.

That:

(a)       Herefordshire Council participates in the Shropshire Council led category 1 (Urban) and category 3 (Energy efficiency and Health related solutions) Warm Homes Fund projects and accepts the grants via the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding;

(b)       The Acting Assistant Director for Regulation, Environment & Waste Services be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to enable the project; , such as signing off the project Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and any relevant targeting activity;

(c)       Herefordshire Council agrees to end its current, direct Category 1 agreement with Warm Homes Fund provider, Affordable Warmth Solutions, by means of a variation in the agreement, in order to access the further and higher level of funding provision.

1.         Herefordshire Council choose not to take part in the Shropshire Council led projects, this would likely lead to us being required to continue delivering under our current agreement and is not recommended as the funding is at a lower level, i.e. less households are set to benefit and would also require some re-negotiation with the funder for the Shropshire element of the project for which we are currently responsible.