Meeting Details

RESOLVED that: the minutes of the meeting held on 21 May 2025 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Panel considered a report which aimed to provide it with an overview of some of the recent work that the Council, in partnership with Essex County Council, had been carrying out to engage with communities and support their ambitions to generate renewable energy.

Tom Day, Head of Energy and Low Carbon, Essex County Council, attended the meeting to present the report and assist the Panel with its enquiries. The Panel received a presentation which highlighted key areas of the work of the Energy and Low Carbon Team with communities and partners in Essex to enable residents to benefit from clean power and to accelerate the retrofit of all homes in ways which improved health, cut fuel poverty, supported local jobs and tackled climate change. Community Energy was concerned with locally driven energy projects that were created, owned, and managed by the local community. The government’s commitment to Clean Power 2030 meant that an energy system would be required which was entirely reliant upon renewable energy, and policy changes were starting to come forward which aimed to support small, local, schemes. Work in Essex in relation not community energy schemes had started in March 2020 through the assessment of the potential of local groups, and by March 2025, nine community energy organisations had bene established, and a wider network of 25 groups were at various stages of development. The programme now aimed to embed the progress made with these groups to assist them to become self-sustaining. A community-led energy planning session had recently been held in Colchester in partnership with colleagues from the City Council, and had been successful in engaging with a number of parish councils.

In response to questioning form the Panel, the Head of Energy and Low Carbon, confirmed that in areas which were not a parish, as many community groups as it had been possible to identify had been contacted. In respect of the impact of the forthcoming local government reorganisation (LGR), the Head of Energy and Low Carbon, confirmed his desire to continue to nurture the network of community groups which existed to assist them to grow as effectively as possible, and funding had recently been extended within Essex County Council (ECC) to support this work. LGR would bring significant change, and it would be necessary to navigate this, while maintaining the focus on supporting community groups.

Head of Energy and Low Carbon confirmed that conversations had taken place with the dioceses, and these conversations would be followed up in the future. He would welcome the opportunity to work with local authorities and other public sector partners who would no doubt wish to develop sustainable energy solutions on their own land, but who may also be able to offer public assets, such as parking spaces or civic buildings, as potential schemes for community groups.

Turning to the revenue streams which had been mentioned, the Panel wondered whether local authorities were able to benefit from these, for example by installing a wind turbine, or where they restricted to community groups? The Head of Energy and Low Carbon considered that it was perfectly feasible for a local authority to install energy generating technology, such as solar panels, and benefit from the income generated, provided it had sufficient capital to fund the project and a desire to do so.

A Panel member questioned the degree to which it was appropriate for local authorities to become involved with community assets in respect of energy delivery schemes, citing the Council’s own attempted heat network on the Northern Gateway site, which had yet to generate any energy. Was the aim for local authorities to become involved in managing these projects, or simply act as the enabler to assist community groups to seek advice from energy companies who were qualified to give it? The Head of Energy and Low Carbon confirmed that the aim of the project was to enable community groups to be in a position to benefit from the opportunities which were available. Advice was sought from experts in the field, who were consulted on the technical elements of the projects.

The Head of Energy and Low Carbon would welcome the assistance of the Panel to his team, through suggesting projects to them, or recommending interested parties they may be aware of through their work. He was happy to share more information with the Panel and would welcome advice from Councillors on which local projects they may be aware of which would benefit from the assistance available. He was particularly keen to engage with communities who may find it more difficult to engage, such as deprived communities.

RESOLVED that:

- the contents of the update be noted.

The Panel considered a report which provided it with an update in relation to the work which had been undertaken in respect of energy management, and which provided a summary of the financial and environmental benefits which had been achieved over the past 6 months.  

George Phillips, Energy Manager, attended the meeting to present the report and assist the Panel with its enquiries. He had provided a summary of his work to the Panel 6 months ago, and since this time had continued to work to identify savings, and to reclaim money which had been paid erroneously to energy companies. He emphasised the importance of the position of energy manager to the Council, which was a new position for the authority which had provided significant clarity in relation to the Council’s energy usage. During the first 18 month the Energy Manager had successfully identified savings of £305,000, of which £110,500 represented year-on-year savings which would be generated due to projects that have been implemented. It was critically important to an organisation of the size of the Council that the Energy Manager continued to scrutinise and question the energy bills which were being paid to identify inconsistencies and incorrect billing. Surveys had been commissioned on Council assets including the Town Hall and Leisure World, which in particular used 4.5 units of energy per year, and yet only had a single gas and electricity meter, with no sub-metering. It was important that the Council was in a position to make informed decisions, and the Energy Manager role was designed to provide this clarity by identifying anomalies and enabling the Council’s assets to operate more efficiently.

A Panel member noted that there were no key performance indicators (KPIs) relating to the Council’s achievements on environment and sustainability, such as there were for the operation of Colchester Borough Homes (CBH), for example, was it possible to provide such information? The information which had been provided in the Officer’s report had not been organised in terms of the savings achieved year after year, what had the Council saved to date, and what would it save in the future? Was there a need to introduce a KPI to measure the performance of environment and sustainability in the same way that other Council functions were measured and monitored?

The Energy Manager had worked for CBH, and provided detailed information to the Panel about the successes which had been achieved by CBH when dealing with the Council’s assets through energy efficiency initiatives and the use of emerging technology such as ground and air source heat pumps, which took steps to address fuel poverty as well as reducing emissions.

Although the Panel appreciated the efficiency of CBH, it noted that its work covered the whole of the operation of the Council, and an understanding of the assets of the Council was only just being reached. A Panel member considered that there seemed to be no specific targets for the level of achievement for environment and sustainability across the whole authority. There were clear achievements in some areas, however, no method existed of determining how these achievements measured up to similar organisations, which would indicate areas in which improvement was necessary. He felt that this area of specialism should follow other areas of specialism of the Council and introduce KPIs to enable Councillors to understand the position and use as a method of monitoring operational effectiveness.

Simon Cairns, Joint Head of Planning, attended the meeting and addressed the Panel, explaining that in terms of the savings made, it was not always possible to provide percentage figures. However, he was happy to consider the future use of KPIs, which was an interesting suggestion. The report which was before the Panel demonstrated a very good return on investment and capital when compared to the cost of the role of the Energy Manager.

Simon Davison, Sustainability and Climate Change Manager, attended the meeting and advised the Panel that the introduction of KPIs with regard to sustainability would pose some unique difficulties, as many of the initiatives introduced in relation to sustainability were qualitative in nature and therefore difficult to measure, however, KPIs could be used. He was working on a full review of investment which had been made in Leisure World which would provide details of what had been achieved, and which would be presented to the Panel at a future meeting.

In discussion, the Panel noted that a significant portion of the savings which had been delivered had been due to utilities refunds, were more savings possible in this area? The Energy Manager confirmed that the report contained details of year-on year-savings which would be delivered of approximately £100,000, and he expected to deliver more savings in the future through identifying anomalies in the billing and usage of energy across Council assets, and continuously seeking to ensure that billing was accurate across the whole organisation. The Panel was very keen to understand the nature of some of the overcharging which had been identified, and the Energy Manager provided examples of outdated metering in Council properties and historical charges which he had been able to recoup. Continued investigations of this nature were a key element of his role. The Panel expressed its shock and consternation at the extent of the overcharging which had been uncovered, and offered its support to the continued work of the Energy Manager, who considered that his role fulfilled the dual function of delivering savings efficiencies which then also reduced the Council’s emissions.

At the invitation of the Panel, the Energy Manager provided details of a water reclamation system which had been installed at Leisure World which captured water leaving the pool allowing it to be returned at a warmer temperature for a lower energy cost. The Panel was assured by the Energy Manager that he would continue to interrogate every area of the Council’s energy use to ensure that all meters were up to date and energy was being billed correctly across the Council’s very diverse suite of assets.

RESOLVED that:

- The contents of the report be noted.

The Panel considered a report which asked it to note the progress which had been made with the Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP), including actions which had been taken. 

Simon Davison, Sustainability and Climate Change Manager, attended the meeting to present the report and assist the Panel with its enquiries. The CEAP had been published on the Council’s website in November 2024, and the sustainability pages updated in March 2025. The CEAP was a ‘live’ document which would be updated periodically. The attention of the Panel was drawn to key pieces of work undertaken over the preceding months including collaborative working with the University of Essex and Essex County Council (ECC) to secure a grant from the Heat Network Development Unit to produce a feasibility study for a potential heat network at the University of Essex to potentially provide heating to social housing in the Greenstead area. The final report had been produced, and discussions were ongoing on how to progress the project.

The smart motors which had been installed at Leisure World using a grant from Sport England had been performing above expectations, and a business case was being prepared to install another set of motors to further improve energy efficiency, bring down costs and reduce CO2 emissions.

Mike Polom, Transport and Sustainability Project Officer, attended the meeting to provide an update in relation to sustainable travel projects. Work was progressing on providing a permanent secure bike park in the city centre, and the bike lockers had now been installed as part of the Greater Anglia Customer and community Improvement Fund. Implementation of the Colchester Station to Hospital Wayfinding scheme was expected shortly, with artwork at Colchester station and Hospital and repeater signs on lamp columns along the route. Planting on the Albert roundabout as part of the Fixing the Link project was looking good, and the information board was due to be installed shortly. ‘Turn off your engine’ signs were to be installed in Brook Street and East Street, and ware expected to be installed for Clean Air Day on 19 June 2025.

The Council’s travel plan helped to provide support and encouragement for staff to choose active and sustainable modes of transport to travel to work and on business. Following the implementation of initiatives and the most recent travel to work survey in October 2024, in Spring this year the Council had been awarded ‘Very Good’ accreditation for the travel plan by Modeshift. This was an improvement on the ‘Good’ award which had been received in the preceding year.

Work had been carried out in relation to car park management over the preceding year to ensure that people who genuinely needed a parking space close to their place of work could get one, via a needs based parking system. Discounts were offered on trains and busses for staff, and free use of the park and ride scheme was available for all council staff and Councillors. An umbrella pool had been introduced at Rowan House as staff had indicated that they didn’t like walking to work if there was the possibility of rain. A secure cycle hanger was now available at the Town Hall for staff, and funding had been secured to support the installation of a larger cycle store at Leisure World.

The Panel heard that the Council’s Travel Plan had progressed well with a slight reduction in the numbers of staff using cars or taxis to get to work, coupled in a slight increase in staff using more sustainable methods of transport such as walking and cycling, which was on par with national levels. The recent trend towards more working from home had benefitted the Council’s carbon footprint greatly.

The Travel Plan Club was a network of businesses and large and small organisations which covered approximately 25,000 staff and students. Quarterly meetings were held, and the Council acted as a point of contact for any members of the Club seeking advice in relation to travel and transport sustainability issues.

In response to a Panel member requesting an update in respect of the Council’s anti-idling campaign, the Transport and Sustainability Project Officer, confirmed that the project had been funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and which had a specific timeline. Some elements of the project would continue through general engagement work and the involvement of Councillors with their communities. Resources such as flyers and banners to go outside schools were available, together with a toolkit for schools teach children about the benefits of air quality and the dangers of pollution. If members of the Panel were aware of any schools or community groups who were interested in promoting air quality, then Officers would be pleased to assist them. It was confirmed to the Panel that Officers had been working with the North Essex Parking Partnership throughout the project.

A Panel member considered that the Council’s Travel Plan was excellent and requested that details of this be circulated to all Councillors again. The change in staff travel habits appeared to be quite small, was it possible to set a target or incentivise greater change in some way? The Transport and Sustainability Project Officer confirmed that the intention was to provide people with different options when it came to choosing their method of travel, but not to try to force them towards one particular mode of transport. It was considered that more deprived communities stood to gain the most benefit from different travel options, as car ownership was very expensive. In terms of the rate of change, the reality of travel plans was that when considering modal shift a change of 1% in a year was considered to be s significant achievement, and Officers were pleased with the progress, although would naturally like to see more.

When considering the Car Club, the Panel considered that it would be useful in the future if it was possible to provide some additional data around the number of journeys which had been undertaken, and the emissions which had been saved as a result to provide some benchmarking.

In response to a question from a Panel member in relation to the location of air quality monitoring sensors around schools in Lexden, the Transport and Sustainability Project Officer confirmed that the location and management of the monitors fell entirely within the remit of ECC, and although the Council could request monitoring in an area it could not guarantee this.

Turning to the proposed heat network, the Panel sought to understand the rationale for potentially including Greenstead within the scheme, noting that houses which had not been designed to benefit from this sort of heating may generate significant retrofitting costs which could make the project unfeasible. How could it be ensured that cheaper hearing was delivered to areas of the greatest social need?

The Sustainability and Climate Change Manager explained that the initial feasibility study had considered those points, and the Panel was assured that providing hot water to existing buildings was well within the technological capabilities of a heat network with a high temperature flow. It was important that consideration be given to methods of decarbonising the Council’s housing stock to comply with government deadlines, and a heat network may be an efficient way of achieving this. The feasibility study had indicated that the proposal could be cost efficient and warranted more detailed consideration before the preparation of a business case.

The consideration of a heat network had caused some alarm to a Panel member who recalled similar discussions taking place around a heat network on the Northern Gateway development, which had not come to fruition. She was concerned that homeowners and Council tenants would not have the necessary money to install new heating systems, and was concerned that although such a system may appear to be a good idea, in practice it may prove very difficult to implement.

Considering areas of pollution within the City, a Panel member wondered whether consideration had been given to installing green walls in areas with wider pavements to absorb some of the pollution? The Transport and Sustainability Project Officer advised the Panel that the wider the pavement, the less pollution pedestrians would be subjected to, as pollution levels fell off dramatically away from roads. The reason that the Council had not considered green walls was that management of the highways and pavements was an ECC function, and therefore not within its remit.

RESOLVED that:

- The contents of the report be noted.

The Panel considered a report which set out its work programme for the current municipal year.

The Panel requested that a report be presented to it providing details of the current sustainable transport hub which was under development in the city. A Panel member, did, however, wish to emphasise most strongly that any discussion should be purposeful with the Panel achieving a clear outcome, and not just taking part in a ‘talking shop’.

Simon Cairns, Joint Head of Planning, advised the Panel that the Council’s Head of Economic Growth was happy to attend a meeting to provide an update, and this would be scheduled in, in due course.

RESOLVED that:

• the contents of the report be noted.