The report seeks approval for the Council to accept the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) capital funding of approx. £2,485,440 via the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Shropshire Council as the lead Local Authority. Herefordshire Council will join a small consortium with Shropshire and Telford Local Authorities. This funding will be used to enable an estimated 200 fuel poor households across Herefordshire to be supported with home energy efficiency and renewable heating measures.

That:

a) Approval is given for the acceptance and expenditure of the full allocation Warm Homes: Local Grant awarded to Herefordshire of approx. £2,485,440 capital and £372,816 revenue funding and any additional funding if granted 2025/26;

b) The Section 151 Officer adds the allocated grant to the capital programme and accept any additional Warm Homes: Local Grant funding should it be granted;

c) The Council signs a back-to-back Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Councils with Shropshire signing the main MoU as the Consortium lead; and

d) The Service Director for Growth be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement recommendation a).

Not to accept or part accept the grant funding. This is not recommended as this would make it difficult for Herefordshire fuel poor households to receive support at the levels stated within the bid, as other funding streams alone are likely to result in significant funding shortfalls for fuel poor households. This will result in a risk of not achieving the council’s strategic objectives within the Herefordshire Council Plan 2024 – 2028 and will not make progress towards the Council’s 2030 net zero carbon ambition for the county.