Issue - meetings

Report of Head of Regeneration and Housing

Summary

To seek approval for the Council to become a shareholder member of a Community Interest Company established to act as a Green Deal Provider.

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended:

(1)               To authorise the Council’s participation as a founding, shareholder member of the proposed Community Interest Company (CIC), subject to confirmation  by the Head of Finance and Procurement  and the Head of Law and Governance that the terms of membership and participation are acceptable and place the Council at no financial, legal or reputational risk.

Recommendations approved.

The Head of Regeneration and Housing submitted a report which sought approval for the Council to become a shareholder member of a Community Interest Company established to act as a Green Deal Provider.

In introducing the report, the Lead Member for Housing reported that a free insulation scheme had started on 14 May and would run until the end of September. All Cherwell homeowners could obtain cavity wall insulation free and loft insulation will be free for homes with less than 60mm of insulation at the moment. Details on the scheme were available from the Private Sector Housing Team.

Resolved

That the Council’s participation as a founding, shareholder member of the proposed Community Interest Company (CIC), subject to confirmation  by the Head of Finance and Procurement  and the Head of Law and Governance that the terms of membership and participation are acceptable and place the Council at no financial, legal or reputational risk be authorised.

Reasons

Although there is still some work to be done to establish the proposed CIC and the Green Deal Provider service, the principles are essentially straightforward. Participation should present no significant risk to the Council and the benefits of taking part as a shareholder member appear compelling. As a result, this report recommends that the Executive gives approval in principle for the Council’s participation, subject to the Head of Finance and Procurement and the Head of Law and Governance being satisfied that the final terms are acceptable in both legal and financial terms.

If the Council wishes to be a shareholder in the CIC it needs to make that decision at this point so that development of the CIC can continue with the required level of certainty and so that the necessary arrangements can be finalised in preparation for launch of the service in October.

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