The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has this week announced that Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing and Charnwood Borough Council have been successful in their bid for £1,062,500 to insulate 1,250 homes over 2 years.

Charnwood is one of only three social landlords in the East Midlands to receive this funding to help insulate social homes – reducing fuel bills for tenants and cutting carbon emissions.

The Social Housing Energy Saving Programme (SHESP), first announced in April’s 2009 Budget, will provide cavity wall insulation for thousands of homes. The initiative forms part of the government’s Housing Stimulus Package.

The funding, payable over two years, is expected to insulate up to 110,000 difficult-to-fill homes. It is anticipated that works will start this summer.

The funding made available will achieve a number of aims:

• an increase in the number of homes that have cavity insulation
• an overall improvement in the SAP (energy) ratings
• a reduction in carbon emissions.

Commenting on the successful bid, Steve Wilson, Director of Investment, Repairs and Regeneration of Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing: “This is a fantastic result, with 1250 homes benefiting from this investment, which will assist in reducing tenants heating bills, helping the environment and providing our tenants with more comfortable homes. This result also demonstrates the successful partnership between Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing and the Council. By working together we were able to access this additional funding that will have a positive impact for many of our customers".

Cllr. John Bush, Charnwood Borough Council’s Lead Member for Housing and Health, said: “This is really good news for our tenants, as they will benefit from cheaper fuel bills and warmer homes. Housing is one of the Council’s main priorities and we will continue to look at every opportunity to apply for additional funding to improve our homes for the benefit of tenants.”

Notes to editors

SHESP aims to help social landlords insulate hard to treat cavity walls, which would have not normally been filled under the Decent Homes Programme, thereby making more homes much more energy efficient.

The criteria for bids were:

• Must be “hard to treat” cavity wall insulation, or more than 80% “hard to treat”
• Must be additional to works already planned
• Must be planned and delivered within agreed timeframe, and before end of 2010/11
• Minimum bids considered – 1,000 properties with bids considered from consortia.

Bids were also considered against the following criteria and weightings:

• Must be value for money (based on average amount; with flex upward where justified on hard to treat grounds).
• Deliverability (priority will given to those bidders that are able to start early and deliver early).
• Must complement wider strategy for a place, support policy priorities and contribute to delivery of wider outcomes.

Housing stimulus package

As a result of April’s Budget the HCA received an additional £400m to unlock developments through Kickstart; £50 million social housing grant to allow local authorities to deliver new social housing (complemented by £50 million capital cover for associated prudential borrowing); up to £80 million to support delivery of the Mortgage Rescue Scheme; £84 million to provide cavity wall insulation in the social sector; £21 million for investment in innovative low-carbon heating systems. This was supplemented by the Prime Minister’s Building Britain’s Future announcement with a further £750 million to be allocated via the HCA’s National Affordable Housing Programme; £660 million to unlock developments through Kickstart; and £250 million to allow local authorities to deliver new social housing.

ENDS