Build to Low Carbon Project

Initial Stakeholder Breakfast Meeting

Summary Report

16th December 2016

….working for a bright, secure and sustainable future, free from fuel

poverty.

Initial Stakeholder Breakfast Meeting Summary

15th December 2016

1 Aim of the meeting

In the UK the Build2LC project’s priority is to reduce fuel poverty across Gloucestershire by improving existing properties and developing new instruments to enable the population to live well in their own homes for longer. Currently plans and actions are quite disparate across district authorities, the private sector and public health bodies; hence Build2LC will facilitate and bring key stakeholders together to create a collaborative action plan which each stakeholder is intrinsically committed to.

The engagement and commitment of a wide array of stakeholders in the project is fundamental to success. The breakfast meeting aimed to inform stakeholders about the principles of Build2LC and to positively engage and motivate those present to take an active and sustained role in the project. By motivating and inspiring stakeholders, further dissemination would occur to other potential parties and colleagues. In short, there would be high awareness and engagement across key players in Gloucestershire engendering a sense of collective ownership.

A further purpose of the meeting was to collect data to inform the direction and next steps of the project alongside developing the foundations for the SWOT analysis. Stakeholders would also have the opportunity to sign up for the three Delivery Groups (Steering, Technical and Policy) so that initial lists could be drawn up before approaching other parties to ensure each group would be balanced and well-represented.

2 Recruitment of stakeholders

A list of 65 stakeholders was developed (Appendix 1) covering representatives from:

o The county council

o Local district authorities

o Public health bodies and the National Health Service

o Installers

o Business and community groups

o The University of Gloucestershire

o Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)

Where possible, a letter, flier and summary project page (Appendix 2) were sent to each stakeholder by both email and post. The meeting was held as a Breakfast Meeting to reduce interruption to the working day, particularly as there was relatively short notice so alternative commitments may have been in place.

19 people attended the meeting alongside the facilitator and the CEO from Severn Wye Energy Agency. Figure 1 shows that all groups were represented with the exception of MPs and MEPs who will need to be engaged on a case-by-case basis.

Stakeholder group Numbers attended

The County Council (including Public Health) 2

Local district authorities 2

Installers 5

Business and community groups 4

The University of Gloucestershire 1

MPs and MEPs 0

Others 1

Severn Wye Energy Agency 4

Total 19

Figure 1: Representation at the stakeholder meeting

3 Impartiality

An experienced external facilitator with a sustainability specialism was contracted to facilitate the meeting to demonstrate to attendees that they had ownership of the project and that, although co-ordinated by Severn Wye Energy Agency, it is not directed by the agency. This would also put the onus on the meeting participants to fully engage and offer ideas without the assumption of prior knowledge from the facilitator. Finally, the facilitator is experienced at managing groups of people with different agendas and backgrounds and offered a professional and creative approach. Again, this would reflect well on the project and further support long term engagement.

The meeting was held at Gloucestershire Growth Hub which is a partnership between the University of Gloucestershire and GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The hub acts as a central point of contact for over 26,000 businesses in the county and is centrally located enabling easy access. The hub has professional and suitable facilities for a formal event of this nature. This location was chosen to demonstrate engagement within the community, easy access, professionalism and appropriate resources.

4 Agenda

The agenda for the meeting was as follows:

07:45 Arrival and Breakfast

08:00 Introductions

08:10 How B2LC will work for Gloucestershire

08:25 Group exercise on current context

08:45 What do our stakeholders want?

09:00 SWOT Analysis

09:15 - 09:30 Future Options

Figure 2: Meeting agenda

The meeting included a formal introduction to the project from Mike Brain, CEO of Severn

Wye Energy Agency. The majority of the

meeting focused on active participation from

the stakeholders working in groups (figure 3)

before the facilitator led the collation of ideas.

This enabled stakeholders to network and work

collaboratively towards the common goal whilst

gaining an understanding of the actions and

challenges faced by different organisations. A

representative from Severn Wye Energy

Agency sat with each group to log ideas.

Social media (Twitter) was used throughout the workshop which was well received by the

coordinator and local bodies. This is something that we will look to make a feature of all

future activities.

5 B2LC introduction to stakeholders

Mike Brain, CEO of Severn Wye Energy

Agency, delivered a brief presentation

(Figure 4) to launch Build2LC and enable

meeting participants to understand the

background and aims of the project along

the role of Severn Wye Energy Agency and

the stakeholders. Figure 5 summarise the

aims of each part of the presentation.

Figure 3: Stakeholder group work

Figure 4: Introductory presentation

Presentation section

Aim

Severn Wye Energy Agency

Introduce the agency in terms of location, make-up and aims. Explains that the organisation is not for profit and focuses on sustainable energy use for communities. Stakeholders should realise that there is no profit for Severn Wye Energy Agency and that the role of the agency is to facilitate work in communities.

Development of the project

Brief background to EU funding and the Interreg programme. Makes links between the European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) priorities and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Enables participants to understand the source of funding and how it links to local actions and priorities.

What is Build2LC? The aim and vision of the project and an emphasis on the role of stakeholders and the two phases of Build2LC. The structure of the committees within the region and the 4 key areas of the action plan. Stakeholders should understand how the project will work and begin to identify how they can contribute.

Case studies Brief overview of 2 successful projects (Warm and Well and Link to Energy) to demonstrate the positive impact of collaborative work and EU funding. This should develop motivation and demonstrate that Severn Wye Energy Agency can achieve results with the support of stakeholders.

Introduction to activities

Explanation of the group activities with emphasis on the importance of stakeholder input. This puts the stakeholders back in charge of the rest of the meeting and gives them ownership of the outcomes.

Figure 5: Presentation aims

6 Current situation in Gloucestershire and vision for the future

Stakeholders were asked to collaborate in four groups to share and collate ideas regarding

the current situation in Gloucestershire and what a better future would look like.

Participants were asked to select 2 images (from hundreds of provided postcards); the first

to reflect current fuel poverty issues from their varying perspectives and the second to

illustrate what the solution/opportunity might be. They used the images and key words to

build up a picture of the range of causes, impacts, situations, perspectives, reasons for

optimism and opinions on fuel poverty whilst also enabling stakeholders to build working

relationships in a positive and non-threatening manner. An example of the collaborative

Figure 6: Fuel poverty collation of stakeholder ideas

work is shown in figure 6. The following sections outline the outcome of the discussions in

relation to the current context and the future vision.

6.1 What does fuel poverty in Gloucestershire look like today?

6.1.1 People

It was widely agreed that there was a diversity of needs within the region and that it is

crucial to remember that there are real people behind the statistics. Those in fuel poverty

often adopt ‘survival strategies’ where they make choices about whether to eat or fuel their

home (‘heat or eat’). They may also resort to unsafe ways to heat their homes or only heat

one room whilst letting the rest of the property decay.

Currently it is unclear who is ultimately

responsible for people in fuel poverty as

issues are presented on multiple fronts such

as an inability to work, poor quality housing,

debt, poor health, lack of attendance or

issues at school. This lack of clarity may lead

to a reluctance or inability to allocate

resources to support those in need. It was

recognised that a collaborative approach may

help to identify the location of resources and

the best way to pool them. The recent change

in definition of Fuel Poverty may present an

opportunity to link these issues more closely

to wider poverty initiatives.

6.1.2 Buildings

Gloucestershire is a rural county with two

main urban centres. Stakeholders discussed

the challenges faced in rural areas where

those in fuel poverty are often in

inefficient, poor quality and old solid wall properties. This poses a particular challenge as

these properties are often in areas noted for beauty and heritage. However, this could also

be an opportunity in terms of investing in historical properties.

6.1.3 Health

It was agreed that there are currently limited options and poor choices for those in fuel

poverty. This lack of access to early intervention can have both mental and physical health

implications including depression, poor nutrition, cold and hunger. All of these can have

Figure 7: Stakeholder ideas – vision for the future

further repercussions including lack of attendance at work or school, the breakdown of

relationships or respiratory conditions.

6.1.4 Education and awareness

Discussion surrounded the lack of awareness of options available to those in need. There

was considered to be a gap between the current ‘carry on the same’ mentality and a reality

of the options available for support. Some commented on the fact that advice and support

was offered but individuals choose not to engage or act upon advice available or offered.

People are also operating separately so there is a need to bring individuals, communities

and public and private bodies together. Engaging young people and raising their awareness

also needs to be considered as it was previously achieved through a sustainability agenda

that is no longer supported in the curriculum. This not only links to enabling future society

to live in healthier conditions more affordably, but also supporting sustainable education

for tomorrow’s workforce.

6.2 What would a better future look like in relation to fuel poverty?

The four mixed stakeholder groups discussed their visions for a better future with regard to

reducing fuel poverty. A number of common themes emerged which was encouraging in

terms of taking the project forward with shared priorities. The key themes included:

o Communities, public and private bodies work in partnership to reduce fuel poverty.

o Those in need are identified and

connected to those who can help.

o Behaviour change is possible.

o New and creative solutions and

materials will be identified and

implemented.

o Energy will be used as a driver for

positive change.

7 Barriers, opportunities and ideas

for action for tackling fuel poverty

Participants worked in pairs to discuss the

barriers to reducing fuel poverty and

promoting lower carbon emissions relating

to buildings. Most importantly stakeholders

discussed opportunities for building on

current successes. Outcomes were clustered

Figure 8: Collaborative thinking – opportunities and barriers

into five main themes which are noted in the following sections. This information will be

explored in more depth during the delivery group meetings.

7.1 Partnership and collaboration

7.1.1 Opportunities

Collaboration was seen to be an instrumental factor in reducing fuel poverty. This includes

the opportunity to develop greater collaboration between private and public bodies and

bring the voluntary sector into the partnership. This project also provides the chance to

bring the most instrumental stakeholders together.

There is an increased opportunity through linking health providers including public health

bodies and the NHS with energy related bodies, including local authorities. This is due to

the increased awareness that preventative actions save the NHS money and national

government are beginning to recognise the importance of preventative care and are

directing more funding into this area.

7.1.2 Barriers

Potential barriers to collaborative working

include political challenges. This may include

varying political priorities at national,

regional and local level alongside the

changing and uncertain political landscape

due to Brexit, the economy and potential for

increased devolution in the UK.

Agencies and authorities may also have

varying priorities and although they

appreciate the issue, they may not be able

to allocate resources. There may also be an element of competition between different

organisations where collaborative working may prove more challenging if some

organisations felt threatened.

A further challenge is that people, both in communities and organisations, do not always

have a comprehensive understanding of the problems, effects and the integral links

between health, housing and energy.

With the majority of housing stock being privately owned or rented by private landlords,

communication and engagement with so many parties who do not necessarily have a

common motivation could be a barrier. There is also a concern that there may be conflict

between tenants and landlords. This could be because the landlord wants to take action but

the tenant does not, or vice versa.

7.2 Finance

7.2.1 Opportunities

There is an opportunity to develop new financial methods, including incentives, to facilitate

people to make improvements and reduce fuel poverty.

7.2.2 Barriers

Currently funding mechanisms are unsustainable and inconsistent with many opportunities

being time-limited or changing after a short period of time. Where mechanisms do exist,

there are issues with how these operate or, the mechanisms are not targeted on individuals

suffering fuel poverty. Some mechanisms involve costs to the individual which is acceptable

to many but is not appropriate to the identified target group who are already suffering from

financial difficulties. This makes many current mechanisms inaccessible to those in need.

There is a cost attached to making changes and implementing strategies including the

administration of any actions identified. With all public bodies facing increasing financial

constraints and the uncertainty of the future landscape, lack of money is a barrier for

private and public organisations as well as individuals.

7.3 Technology

7.3.1 Opportunities

Much of the technology required to improve building stock already exists which means that

there is an opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of current housing stock. There is

potential for technological innovation which could also be applied. There was also an

acknowledgement that more could be done to recover waste heat.

With an increasing population, there is an acknowledgement that current housing stock

needs to be fit for the future and by making improvements in these areas, there will be less

demand for other more drastic and costly interventions.

An increased awareness of legislation surrounding tenures is important and any

opportunity to adopt a clear balance of power in terms of improving energy efficiency of

homes between tenants and landlords should be taken.

7.3.2 Barriers

The age and condition of current housing stock, particularly in rural areas, was considered a

barrier. It was accepted that there is currently no simple and sustainable solution so it will

take time to make improvements.

7.4 Behaviour, culture, education and awareness

7.4.1 Opportunities

There is an opportunity to make education more resourceful and efficient, improving

communication with hard to reach areas. Again, with a growing recognition in public bodies

of the links between health, energy and housing stock, there is potential to maximise the

use of communication channels to educate and inform those in need.

Furthermore, there is the potential to improve communications between establishments-

including workplaces, schools, social services and health professionals- and individuals in

need or/and energy support systems as there is a recognition of the links between fuel

poverty and health, the economy and educational performance. Action for these people

could transform lives.

Some stakeholders proposed that the community, and stakeholders, need a shock to

stimulate action. It was suggested that there are opportunities to communicate a ‘good life’

vision and encourage people to develop energy efficient values. Gloucester has a reputation

for improving efficiency and there may be an opportunity to maximise the benefit from this

to make further changes.

There is a further chance to educate young people about making good choices, using what

they have appropriately and to avoid making inaccurate assumptions. Education of both

adults and young people could be further developed to enable individuals to accurately

assess their own property’s efficiency, to understand the impacts of poor efficiency or

energy behaviours on their lives and how to improve the situation.

7.4.2 Barriers

It was agreed that changing bad habits and cultural norms is not quick to remedy and this is

exacerbated by the low visibility of fuel poverty causing a lack of comprehension of the

issue. Where problems are identified there may be a lack of willingness to act and a fear of

change. In some cases, the lack of knowledge of both the consumer and contractor can

reduce the effectiveness of remedial actions or identification of suitable intervention

measures.

Finally, the identification of people in fuel poverty is a barrier. There is currently no simple

method and some people will suffer in silence and be too proud to get help, even if it is

available. Being given the label of ‘fuel poor’ is uncomfortable, again limiting self-referral.

7.5 Policy for transformation

7.5.1 Opportunities

Stakeholders focused on the barriers regarding policy. This may imply that there is a

current dissatisfaction with current policies available.

7.5.2 Barriers

There is currently a lack of government leadership regarding supporting people in fuel

poverty. The requirements for local authorities to take action have been removed and

although there is some requirement for energy companies to make improvements through

the next phase of the ECO programme, this is a national programme and does not devolve

ownership or power to local regions. Current plans or visions seem to be very short term

and there is a lack of conviction in government initiatives as many have been withdrawn or

altered which has had a negative impact on individuals or businesses.

The uncertain financial situation in the UK and political uncertainty means that many

organisations do not want to commit to policies or strategies because of risk. Therefore,

organisations and individuals are often focusing only on key priorities which may conflict

with, or are not shared with, other relevant bodies.

8 Ideas for future actions

Once the opportunities and barriers had been identified, participants went on to work in

groups to develop some ideas for potential action to tackle fuel poverty (and reduce carbon

emissions) around each of the themes discussed in section 7. Stakeholders were

encouraged to be positive and creative in their approach and the points below are very

much a starting point to inform the next phases of Build2LC. Names are noted where a

specific stakeholder expressed an interest in leading or being involved in an action.

8.1 Partnership and collaboration

o Existing partnerships need to be more holistic and less internally focused. There should

be good representation in the following areas: voluntary forum; Leadership

Gloucestershire; SHARE Forum; Landlord Association; AW Group; HealthWatch; LTE

installers; LEP.

o Funders and finance providers should be included.

o There needs to be clear governance of the Build2LC project as the outcome of the

project could make a significant difference. (Peter Wiggins, GCC)

o A Delivery Partnership should be established to pull direct services together e.g. fire

service, health and social care, education.

o Groups in certain areas are useful. There is a need for cross sector working but the right

people need to attend so that decisions can be made and time is not wasted.

o There needs to be an open, honest sharing of different approaches and information.

8.2 Finance

o Develop a security of investment to enable businesses to engage. There is a need to

overcome poor experiences from the past, such as Green Deal, to encourage private

sector investment. (Rodger Budgeon, Green Shop and Richard Hellen, Low Carbon South-

West)

o Encouraging government investment by raising awareness of ‘Invest to Save’. Further

savings in the NHS can be made by investing in Affordable Warmth by allocating

preventative spend. (Maria Hickman, SDC)

o More data and information needs to be gathered and presented regarding health

benefits. (Brian Canning, Severn Wye)

o Any financial ‘offers’ need to be easy to obtain and accessible to those who need it.

Green Deal was too expensive and bureaucratic (Rodger Budgeon, Green Shop, Maria

Hickman, SDC and Richard Hellen, Low Carbon South-West)

o Highlight to all stakeholders and policy makers the myriad of other benefits relating to

education, employment, vulnerability and the economy. (Pete Wiggins, GCC)

o Ensure vulnerable customers are a priority for ECO. There is an opportunity to pull

resources together surrounding investment using local funding as lever. (Paul Simpson,

Evolve HES)

o Find and analyse the current financial instruments available in the context of reducing

fuel poverty. (Thomas Robinson, Adaptavate)

o Develop an ‘Energy Bank’ project. (Pete Wiggins, GCC)

8.3 Technology

o Develop commercial solutions. For example, recovering heat from commercial

properties or providing district heating. Ensure there is benchmarking to show the

benefit from the starting point. There may be a high management demand which is a

challenge to be overcome. For example, batteries and storage, monitoring and display

management, phase change material (PCM) (Thomas Robinson, Adaptavate and Robin

Hefftner, Shackleton & Wintle)

o Create a demonstration property answering the questions: How easy is it to access

support? How do modifications in the property work? How is it funded? How will it

impact my life? (Andy Trewin, Sunamp and Robin Hefftner, Shackleton & Wintle)

o Make the payback more attractive. The current timing of 5-6 years or more is not

appealing.

Figure 9: Collaborative thinking – action planning

o Develop commercial collaboration and donation. This will promote commercial bodies

and show a pioneering approach. The positive marketing can be used as a good news

story.

o Ensure quality assurance of Link to

Energy companies. Continue checking

accreditaitons and isurance.

o Develop a more collaborative approach

to communication about technology.

o There is value in working locally with

local suppliers. People do not want to

travel for meetings or for work.

o Explore technological options to reduce

the limitation of current systems.

o Keep stakeholders up-to-date on

technological improvements and

current availability.

8.4 Behaviour, culture, education and awareness

o Develop a mobile app which is tied to a smart meter. The app should be used for energy

awareness. It is important to remember that the elderly may not have access to, or use,

the app.

o Link in with latest technology and best practice regarding new inventions and materials.

o Target private tenants via landlords. Homeowners also need hand holding. (Maria

Hickman, SDC, Di Billingham, GCC, Elaine O’Hare, Severn Wye)

o Develop a methodology for ensuring landlords are socially responsible. Consider

whether there need to adopt a ‘carrot and stick’ approach. (Maria Hickman, SDC, has a

good analysis of local issues for tenants).

o Support community voice which allows people to steer their future.

o Enable the community and individuals to overcome the stigma of handouts or receiving

charity and recognise the benefits of the change. (Pete Wiggins, GCC)

8.5 Policy for transformation

o All new buildings should meet stringent energy requirements similar to PassivHaus

concepts. Develop Part L of the Building Regulations.

o There should be rigorous standards which areas are required to meet.

o Follow the Welsh legislation on the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015.

o Incentivise business models with a long term hold and aligned benefits.

o Distributed policy ‘experiments’ with learning loops to share with the rest of the region.

(Mike Brain, Severn Wye; Peter Clegg, Severn Wye trustee; Richard Hellen, Low Carbon

South-West)

o Feed in to the Gloucestershire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) and a

prevention self care plan. Create or feed in to a health and social care plan for the next

five years.

o Increase engagement with the construction industry around retrofit rather than new

build.

o Raise the level of buy-in across all potential partners to get a countrywide commitment.

(Di Billingham, GCC, MH)

9 Further engagement of stakeholders

The final part of the meeting gave participants the opportunity to sign up for different delivery

groups. Three people signed up for the Steering Committee, including representatives from the

County Council, the installers network (with strategic influence) and the business sector. This brings

the total number of people expressing an interest in the Steering Committee to eight.

Five stakeholders have been recruited to the Technical Committee; all of these participants

attended the Breakfast Meeting.

Four stakeholders have signed up for the Policy Board, one of these was recruited at the meeting

from Public Health at Gloucestershire County Council which is particularly useful.

Further recruitment to the committees is considered in Section 12.

All meeting participants, alongside those invited to the meeting, will be sent a summary of the

meeting which will be displayed in an accessible format (Appendix 7) which will stimulate further

engagement and facilitate the dissemination of information about the project. These documents

will also be place on the Build2LC section of the Severn Wye website.

10 Evaluation

10.1 Attendance

29% of those invited to the meeting attended. The meeting was arranged at relatively short notice it is hoped the capacity to offer a longer, notice period for future meetings will support an increase in attendance. The number of participants was effective and the attendance was high enough to have a vibrant and energetic feel but be manageable in terms of sharing views.

All of the key sectors were represented except for MPs and MEPs who will need to be approached individually. The broad representation helped to produce a wide range of ideas and perspectives and stimulate collaboration and shared thinking. Discussion following the meeting has shown that greater representation from the health sector is needed hence meetings have already been booked with key players in public health and the NHS.

10.2 Feedback from participants

The comments from the meeting were positive, particularly as participants were excited and motivated to work together.

“I found the event really useful and am excited about the future plans for Gloucestershire.” Paul Simpson, Evolve HES

An evaluation form was distributed via email to attendees following the meeting. Three responses have currently been received and a follow up request has been sent out by Mike Brain, CEO, to initiate further responses. Figure 10 shows the scores allocated to the closed evaluation questions.

Question Score (0 being lowest and 5 Highest)

0 1 2 3 4 5

How relevant was the meeting to your

organisation? 2 1

How useful did you find the presentation?

1 1 1

How would you rate the first activity?

2

1

How would you rate the second activity?

2 1

How would you rate the third activity?

1 1 1

How interested are you in being involved in

the project moving forwards? 2 1

Overall how well did you feel able to share

your expertise and learn from others? 1 1 1

Figure 10: Summary of closed question responses

Responses to open questions implied that the majority of participants found it interesting

to hear about the project plan, enjoyed meeting other participants and making links. They

also found the round table working and resulting ideas particularly useful, stimulating ideas

for action beyond the meeting.

It was suggested that a greater notice period before future meetings would be useful and

would increase attendance and that the recruitment of energy companies would also be a

good step.

Figure 11: Creative activity

10.3 Activities

Participants were active throughout the agenda and the use of the postcards (figure 11) was

immediately engaging. Participants responded well to this

creative approach and it acted as a good icebreaker,

particularly as the activity was non-threatening.

The meeting was time limited and the combination of

group and paired work enabled an extensive amount of

information to be collected and shared in a short period of

time. The purpose was to collate ideas for further

exploration and this was achieved. Hence the activities

served the purpose of covering ‘breadth’ rather than

‘depth’.

12 Next steps

The meeting has prompted the following actions:

1. Delivery groups – finalise the make-up of each group ensuring that all relevant parties are represented and that those attending are people of influence.

2. Health- develop wider knowledge of the workings and priorities within public health and ensure health is used as one of the main drivers for action. Set up meetings with senior staff within Gloucestershire County Council Public Health and the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group.

3. Wider reading – ensure that the project team have a comprehensive knowledge of current and potential policies, strategies and data related to health, housing, energy, business and financial instruments.

4. Wider engagement – Update the stakeholder database to include energy companies and other bodies suggested at the meeting. Make initial contact with these stakeholders.

5. Create an initial options model and develop potential actions relating to each section within the model to share with delivery groups.

6. Use the information from the meeting to inform the SWOT analysis.

Appendices (available on request)

1 List of invitees and attendees

2 Promotional materials

3 Copy of the introduction presentation – Mike Brain, CEO of Severn Wye Energy Agency

4 Facilitation of the meeting plan

5 Initial summary of meeting outcomes

6 Lists of stakeholders expressing an interest in Delivery Groups

7 Breakfast meeting summaries sent to stakeholders