MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Gill Gardiner, Cabinet Member for Environment
Date of Issue: February 23rd 2010
Contact numbers:
07983 624610
Lib Dem office: 0151 691 8544

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: “BUDGET FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE”

Wirral Liberal Democrat Cabinet Members have ensured that the environment is a key priority in this year's Budget.

Cllr Gill Gardiner, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for the Environment, said, “At a time when we know that residents, community groups and the Council will need to reduce their spending, I'm delighted that we have been able to put environmental sustainability as a key theme at the heart of the budget, introducing a total environmental package worth almost £2m this year of energy saving and waste reduction measures that will help us all to make cost and energy savings in the years ahead.”

“I am very pleased to confirm that for residents, we are introducing a scheme to provide free loft and cavity wall insulation for every home in the Borough, saving people money on their energy bills, attacking fuel poverty as well as reducing carbon emissions and our impact on global warming.”

“To illustrate the impact of this measure, the majority of Wirral households will be paying a total increase of less than £20 on their Council Tax next year. Through the free insulation programme, an average home could save up to £265 on energy bills and 1,410Kg of carbon dioxide if they have cavity wall insulation (£115 and 610Kg of CO2 per year) and loft insulation (£150 and 800Kg of CO2 per year where no insulation is present, or £45 and 230Kg of CO2 per year by topping up their loft insulation to recommended levels) installed. M oney spent on the insulation scheme is money that will be paid back into the pockets of Wirral residents through reduced energy bills as well as improved health and housing standards, starting from the moment their insulation is put in.”

“To deliver this, an ambitious £18m four-year programme is planned, with 60% of this funding expected to come from energy companies. Our most deprived areas and all social housing already have access to free insulation schemes, so this will benefit Wirral's private homeowners. Anyone in need of insulation will be able to apply. This measure should contribute substantially to lifting households out of fuel poverty and reducing the boroughs carbon emissions, as well as providing employment opportunities and apprenticeships in the delivery of the scheme.

“It is vital that the Council itself pulls its own weight in contributing to reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy. For the first time, and as the first council in the North West, the Budget includes a carbon budget alongside the financial budget. This Council has an excellent track record of recycling, waste reduction and energy efficiency. We want to take this to the next stage and make sure the Council knows and understands the environmental impact of all its activities. The carbon budget will be the mechanism whereby the Council sets targets to reduce its own spending on energy and carbon emissions year on year.”

“As well as reducing carbon emissions from its own operations, this Budget also commits to a whole range of further measures to enable residents, community groups and the Council to reduce waste, bring down energy bills and reduce our carbon footprint and are a real investment in the long term sustainability of the Borough.”

Measures included in the environment package are:

Energy and cost saving measures to reduce our carbon footprint and lower energy bills for residents and community buildings:

i)      Free insulation for every home in Wirral                                £1,049,000

    In order to contribute to the multiple objectives of reducing the borough's carbon footprint, improving decency standards in private sector housing stock, assisting residents to keep their fuel bills low and helping to provide employment in this sector, Council will invest in a four year programme of £1.049m per year to offer free loft and/or cavity wall insulation to every home in Wirral that wants it.

ii)     Energy Efficiency Grants for community buildings                        £66,000

    To support the long term sustainability of community groups running community buildings, the sum of £100,000 be made available as grants to enable those community groups to access energy efficiency technologies, funded from balances.

iii)    Energy Efficiency Measures for Council Buildings                        £188,000

    To further reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency in council buildings, this package is for a range of energy saving measures including additional Automatic Meter Reading, auto power down devices, and voltage optimization and variable speed drives.  This will provide a saving of £130,000 in the first year.

iii)    Promotion and development of CRED scheme                        £30,000

    Further funding to extend and develop use of 'CRed', the web-based carbon reduction tool, with residents, school children, communities and our partners, in support of the corporate priority to reduce carbon emissions across the borough, funded from balances.

With landfill taxes continuing to increase, the Council must continue to ensure waste is diverted away from landfill and our Budget proposes the following further investment in waste minimisation and recycling initiatives:

iv)     Additional investment in waste collection exclusion round               £114,000

    To provide weekly residual waste collections from those multi occupancy households with insufficient storage space for inclusion in alternate weekly collection rounds.

v)      Additional investment multi occupancy bulk recycling            £177,000

    Investment to secure development of the bulk recycling service for multi occupancy properties.

vi)     Make permanent staffing in waste reduction team                 £100,000

    To make permanent those existing members of staff working to improve environmental quality standards and encourage recycling and waste reduction.  Currently these posts are funded on a temporary basis from the recycling credits.

vii)    Eco officer and support for environmental education initiatives         £90,000

    To engage with and educate children and community groups to reduce waste and to increase the amount and quality of waste recycled in schools and in children's homes.