We have been successful in securing more than £8m of government funding to improve the energy performance of our homes under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
This week the government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero named the organisations who have made successful bids for some of the £1.8bn made available in the SHDF Wave 2 funding.
LiveWest was delighted that both bids we were part of have been successful. Working jointly with Plymouth City Council, we will receive a grant of £1.5m and contribute £1.8m to retrofit 125 homes.
And the other is with the South West Energy hub, hosted by West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which will see us secure a grant of £6.9m and contribute the same amount towards retrofitting nearly 800 homes.
LiveWest’s allocation of more than £8m in total is the largest allocation to any social landlord in the region.
Our Executive Director of Operations, Suzanne Brown, said: “LiveWest is delighted to be part of Plymouth City Council’s and WECA’s (West of England Combined Authority) successful bids for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.
“This funding will enable us to continue working with our consortium partners and expand on our valuable SHDF wave one investment in neighbourhoods such as Barne Barton and Axbridge where Wave 1 delivery is nearing completion.
“Over the next two years The Social Housing Decarbonisation Funding, alongside our own LiveWest investment, will help us undertake a range of building improvement works to a further 125 homes across Plymouth and nearly 800 homes across WECA.
“Not only will this investment benefit our customers with more efficient homes, but we welcome the opportunity to continue to work with our partners to progress the growth of Green Skills in Plymouth and across the region as a whole.
“Sustainable homes, neighbourhoods and communities are at the heart of our commitment to deliver a home for everyone. SHDF funding helps us to reduce our carbon footprint and increase the energy efficiency of our homes, thereby reducing running costs for our customers.”
In Plymouth the money will be spent on our second phase of upgrading our social housing scheme at Furse Park in Barne Barton.
Furse Park is a popular development but while its elevated position gives amazing views over Devonport Dockyard and Plymouth, it also means the properties are subject to some of the harshest weather conditions.
Wave 1 funding is helping to benefit 59 properties, including improving wall insulation, windows and roofs. Now Wave 2 funding will enhance the energy efficiency of a further 125 homes in the community.
Cllr Rebecca Smith, Cabinet Member for Homes and Communities at Plymouth City Council, said: “Upgrading these homes to the best energy efficiency will mean to such to so many people and so I’m grateful for the funding we’ve managed to obtain.
“Once again, though, partnership working with friends and colleagues at PCH and LiveWest has been key and helped delivered positive change for the people of Plymouth.”
Through the WECA bid we are going to be able to target nearly 800 homes across the South West, undertaking a range of improvements to some of the most challenging of our properties, including insulation and the use of new technologies.
Not only will both these projects deliver warm, energy efficient homes, reduce carbon emissions of our customers, help in tackling fuel poverty and support green jobs, it will also safeguard this important social housing for future generations.
Jon Rattenbury, Programme Manager for the South West Net Zero Hub said: “This is fantastic news for households in the South West and it takes us a step closer to achieving the region’s net zero targets.
“We look forward to working with our partners to deliver sustainable home upgrades that will make homes warmer and address fuel poverty.”
This funding is supporting our ambitious Cby28 programme to bring 9,000 of our worst performing properties up to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2028, two years ahead of the deadline set by government.
The Cby28 programme will see us investing approximately £40m into our existing housing and underlines the commitment of LiveWest to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the energy efficiency of our homes.
Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill.
“The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homes.”