Local council credits government funding for accelerating progression towards net zero 2027 target
Three government schemes support ambitious council in the north west to progress its sustainability agenda.
Located in the north west of England, Cheshire East Council supports a population of more than 400,000 residents, nearly a quarter of whom are aged 65 and above.
Driven by a target to become a carbon neutral borough by 2045, the council believes it can pave the way by first reaching net zero through its own operations by 2027.
To support progression against this operational target, the council has completed a number of capital energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects across nearly a decade. Project priorities have been informed, in part, thanks to detailed heat decarbonisation planning, allowing it to first tackle the most carbon intensive buildings across its estate.
Government funding schemes delivered through our teams at Salix have been credited, in part, for accelerating this programme, with the council having received funding through the Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (SEELS), Low Carbon Skills Fund and multiple phases of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
However, outcomes are now not only being praised for progression against this agenda but also for improving vital community facilities. This includes adult day care centres serving the mature population of Cheshire and other vulnerable adults.
In a short video we’ve produced, council corporate energy manager Mahdi Choudhury talks about capital works funded through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the importance of these projects for the local community.
Plus, in the story below, we discuss how the schemes have worked together to enable the council to achieve substantial results on its journey to net zero.
In the video, Mahdi said: “It’s a climate emergency, we need to act.
“Projects will get us some way but, more importantly, it’s a behavioural change that’s needed.”
Watch: council corporate energy manager Mahdi Choudhury talks about capital works funded through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the importance of these projects for the local community.
Funding schemes working together to achieve extraordinary results
From modest beginnings working with us through the Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (SEELS) in 2017, Cheshire East Council has sustained constant progression towards its net zero targets.
Initial loans secured through this scheme enabled large-scale investment in upgrading street lighting across the district. These projects demonstrated value in both fiscal savings and carbon reduction that council experts were able to use to inform next steps.
Supported by the knowledge and experience gained through these works, the council found itself in a good position to accelerate the progression against its ambitions and shifted its focus to larger capital heat decarbonisation works across its estate.
In 2020, Phase 1 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme was launched, making £1 billion in grant funding available to public sector organisations for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.
Cheshire East Council was successful in applying to this fund and was awarded more than £2.4 million in grant funding, which enabled them to install solar panels and new LED lighting at multiple depots, office buildings and leisure centres across the borough.
Air source heat pumps have been installed at the town hall and the indoor market hall in Macclesfield, while the council’s flagship tourist attraction Tatton Park was upgraded with new insulation.
And thus began the council’s scalable acceleration towards its goals.
Alongside Phase 1 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, in 2020, the government launched the Low Carbon Skills Fund. At this time, this scheme provided up to £32 million for public sector bodies to help them to access the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Phases 2 of both schemes soon followed, offering grant funding for the financial year 2021/22.
At this stage in its journey, Cheshire East was successful in awards for both Phase 2 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Skills Fund.
Phase 2 Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding supported the council with more than £2.1 million in funding to upgrade 27 sites. This included 11 leisure centres, nine libraries, two storage depots, an office building, an environmental hub, an entertainment hall, a historic estate and an indoor market. The project saw a focus on the installation of air source heat pumps in place of traditional, fossil fuel boilers, as well as solar panels, roof insulation and building energy management systems.
By this stage, Phase 2 of Low Carbon Skills Fund had a broader aim to focus on funding availability for organisations to engage the specialist and expert advice and skills required to put in place or improve an existing heat decarbonisation plan. Cheshire East Council was awarded more than £97,000 in funding which was used to support the creation of heat decarbonisation plans. These robust plans then informed the council on areas of risk and opportunity, which, in turn, supported additional Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme applications.
Following the generation of these plans and underpinned by its developing capital works programme thus far, Cheshire East Council was successful in applications for additional phases of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme – Phase 3a, Phase 3b and Phase 3c.
With Cheshire East, similarly to many other councils around the country, facing tight financial conditions, the council has directly credited funding through SEELS, the Low Carbon Skills Fund and the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme for the progress made against its net zero targets.
Mahdi said: “The council simply would not have been able to undertake the projects delivered to date without the financial support.”
The council simply would not have been able to undertake the projects delivered to date without the financial support.
Collectively, the council’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme projects are expected to save it 1,665 tones of carbon emissions annually. A 1,665 tonne reduction in annual carbon emissions is equivalent to the carbon emission absorption capacity of 75,682 trees or per-passenger air travel to 832,500 miles – enough to fly you from London to Perth, Australia 92 times*.
Beth Williams, our senior programme manager, said: “Our teams have enjoyed working with Cheshire East Council as it has worked to complete some exciting and challenging decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects across its estate.
“The connection between the funding schemes available and the successful outcomes seen from the projects is clear, showcasing the need for public sector funding opportunities to support organisations at various stages in their decarbonisation journey.”
The connection between the funding schemes available and the successful outcomes seen from the projects is clear, showcasing the need for public sector funding opportunities to support organisations at various stages in their decarbonisation journey.
Thank you to Mahdi Choudhury for sharing Cheshire’s story and participating in this work.
Cheshire East Council was one of nine organisations we interviewed as a part of a 36-minute documentary celebrating successes seen through projects funded via the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Read more about the documentary or watch the full video via our YouTube channel (or below) today.
About the Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (SEELS)
The Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme, otherwise known as ‘SEELS’, provided zero-interest loans to the public sector to facilitate energy efficiency improvement projects that result in financial and carbon savings and contribute towards achieving their net-zero aspirations.
Through the scheme, we delivered £178.4 million in funding to eligible public sector organisations across England. As with many of the other schemes we deliver, this funding was delivered on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Through this scheme a total of 527 projects were completed. Together, these projects are estimated to save organisations a total of £33.8 million in annual energy bills and 59,867 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.
* Carbon calculations have been generated through a tool created by our carbon and technical experts here at Salix. The intention is to provide carbon savings estimates to aid with a common understanding of emission data and statistics. These estimates are approximate; it is not recommended to use this tool for formal carbon emissions analysis. The tool uses UK government conversion factors alongside emissions estimates sourced from various studies, but it is possible a margin of error may exist. For more information about the formulas and methodology used in this tool, please contact us at [email protected]. E&OE.
