Agenda item

(To receive a report from Douglas Robinson, Sustainability Team Leader, which provides the Schools Forum with an update on recent activity)

Consideration was given to a report from the Sustainability Team Leader, which provided the Schools Forum with an outline of the spend profile to date and projected profile of the SCoRE Programme including resourcing spends within the operational budget, and spend on boiler room improvements in Lincolnshire schools.

It was reported that the total spend over the programme's lifetime was in line with the original proposal and that there had been more boilers than expected and therefore funds from the revolving fund had been allocated accordingly. 

The Schools Forum noted that the SCoRE Programme was available to all schools in Lincolnshire, including academies and that there were three strands to the work programme which included behavioural change; investment in boiler room improvements and support in putting together Action Plans which identify opportunities and support schools to access funding to implement identified long term energy efficiency actions.

It was reported that the successes of the SCoRE had recently been acknowledged when the team received a Green Apple Award, with a Gold Ward in the category of energy reduction in local authorities.

The original proposal had agreed £3.6 million (£400,000 Operational, £2,000,000 Boiler Room investment; and £1,200,000 revolving fund).  The spend to date had been allocated to two key areas, the operational budget had been spent employing two graduate SCoRE officers to deliver the programme and one modern apprentice to support the programme, spend in this area was as originally profiled.

The investment in Technology budget was spent on insulation for the valves and flanges of boilers in each school and the installation of boiler optimisation units in each school.  Both technologies were proven to reduce gas consumption in schools; insulation by 3%, and boiler optimisation by 10%.  Details of spend to date; projected future spend and predicted total spend were detailed on page three of the report presented.

In conclusion, the Forum was advised that SCoRE offered good value for money and encouraged long term sustainable behaviour.  It was noted that challenges had been met with solutions and that amendments to the original format of the SCoRE should result in both improved take-up of the programme and increased value for money with regards to investment in technology.

A short discussion ensued, from which the following issues were raised:-

·         Whether the revolving fund was open to academies.  It was reported that the revolving fund managed internally was match funded by Salix.  This revolving fund was not available to academies.  It was highlighted that Salix also operated national funding, which was available to academies.  Officers from the Sustainability Team offered their support to any academy to assist them with their application to access this funding.  It was clarified that access to the boiler improvements was open to academies and was free; and

·         A question was asked as to how much money had been saved.  The Forum was advised that this was difficult to define but improvements would help schools save between 8% and 15% of their fuel costs.  Some members requested firm figures of what had been saved by those who had taken up the initiatives i.e. what the spend was and how much had been saved as a result of the improvements.  The Forum was advised that figures were very hard to quantify as there were too many variables and factors affecting the utility costs in schools.

Detailed at Appendix A was a copy of the SCoRE Programme.

RESOLVED

            That the report be noted.