Member Article

Yorkshire homeowners first to test Green Deal projects

The Government’s Green Deal will be rolled out across projects in the Leeds City Region in the first cohort of pilot schemes to benefit from energy efficiency improvements. The Department of Energy and Climate awarded the region with £2.5m for projects run through the local authority. Residents will benefit from efficiency upgrades across 650 houses, including some of the cities most deprived areas.

Councillor Mehboob Khan, deputy chair of the LCR green economy panel, commented: “We have a strong track record in assisting our residents to make energy efficient improvements to their homes. By trialling key elements of the Green Deal we can help shape how it will work in our region, maximising its potential to help people out of fuel poverty, improve their health and quality of life and become an integral part of our sustainable, low carbon economy.”

Projects will run in four areas of Yorkshire, with 470 homeowners in Leeds and Kirklees set to receive solid wall insulation, while “hard to treat” properties will receive full funding to become environmentally friendly show homes. Bradford council and the NHS will provide insulation to people suffering from chronic illnesses made worse by cold living conditions. A process will be identified by the council and the NHS to offer this programme through healthcare professionals.

The Green Deal will also improve 50 homes in York, and 40 lower income households in Calderdale. Paul Hamer, chair of the LCR green economy panel, said: “Improving the energyefficiency of homes isn’t just a challenge, it’s a massive opportunity. But the only way to tackle the challenge and take full advantage of the opportunity is for the public and private sectors to work together. These council-run pilot projects will be a key proving ground for the Green Deal mechanism, but they’ll also show that the supply chain is there and give businesses the confidence they need to help us make the transition to a green economy.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .