Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Cabinet has today, Monday 7 July, reaffirmed its commitment to tackling fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions despite receiving a significantly lower-than-expected allocation from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WHLG) programme.
At its Cabinet meeting on 2 December 2024, the District Council agreed to engage with the WHLG scheme. Since then, confirmation of a three-year funding allocation has been received from DESNZ. However, the allocation falls well short of previous budgets and anticipated funding levels, creating a substantial shortfall that threatens the District Council's ability to deliver on its housing and climate goals.
To address this, the District Council has submitted a bid to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for £134,623 for the 2025/26 financial year. If successful, this would raise the total available funding to £231,523. Even with this boost, the District Council estimates that only 22 homes could be upgraded in 2025/26, and around 24 homes the year thereafter - far fewer than the 98 homes improved under the predecessor Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2) scheme between 2023 and 2025.
In addition, due to the favourable outturn position for the last financial year, the District Council will also allocate up to £1.1 million from the General Reserve over the next three years. This funding will help to offset the shortfall, which can support an additional 80 to 90 energy efficiency retrofit installations across the District up to 2028.
The District Council's 2024 Residents Survey and national data emphasises the urgent need for continued investment. Approximately 14,000 homes in the District are rated EPC D-G, with 16.5% of households in fuel poverty - above the national average.
The HUG2 programme delivered an estimated annual carbon saving of 316.8 tonnes through energy efficiency improvements.
Cllr Liz Coles, Housing and Customer Services Portfolio said: "Without additional funding, our ability to lift households out of fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions, and support residents' health and wellbeing will be severely constrained.
"We are committed to doing everything we can to secure further resources and deliver on our climate and housing strategies."
The District Council remains determined to support vulnerable residents and contribute to the UK's 2050 Net Zero target. The WHLG programme, despite its reduced scope, will continue to play a vital role in this effort.
