Birmingham City Council launches £27m pilot retrofit scheme
Birmingham City Council is to launch a £27m pilot scheme to retrofit 300 homes in the east of the city.
The move comes as part of a commitment by the council to make Birmingham carbon neutral by 2030, in line with UK government targets.
The Birmingham 3 Cities Whole House Retrofit Pilot will be used to test different approaches to improving the thermal efficiency of buildings managed by the local authority, with the additional aim of reducing energy costs for tenants.
In a statement, the council said the pilot would “address fuel poverty in an affordable and achievable way by developing and implementing innovative solutions and funding models”.
“These 300 properties are just the start of our ambitious plans to ensure that all our housing stock is carbon neutral by 2030… This exciting pilot will also make a significant contribution to economic recovery and growth through creating employment and skills opportunities for local businesses and the local community,” said Ian Ward, the leader of the council.
“The economic and health benefits this can bring to the city in the future are considerable, but we need to support a just transition which brings everyone with us,” he added.
If the pilot in east Birmingham is successful, the retrofitting strategies could be expanded across the rest of the council’s portfolio of 60,000 properties.
The council has published a strategy paper which sets out further details of a 10-year plan for redevelopment across the city, with a proposed annual budget of £40m-£80m.
“The BCC’s housing stock is a large net contributor to the city’s carbon emissions, accounting for 26% of the total. Tackling these heat emissions and achieving a net-zero position is key to us achieving our route to zero commitment,” said Sharon Thompson, the cabinet member for housing and homelessness.
“We need to improve the thermal efficiency of our housing stock to reduce carbon emissions, reduce energy bills, address fuel poverty and support a just transition to a zero-carbon city. This pilot will show us the way to do this and underpin our strategy for long-term investment in our housing stock.”
