Huhne hints at local authority role in Green Deal

Energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne yesterday hinted that local authorities are likely to play a central role in the coalition's flagship Green Deal energy efficiency scheme, working with households, businesses and energy firms to roll out a programme of building improvements.

Addressing the Local Government Association annual conference in Bournemouth, Huhne said he wanted to work with local councils to identify how they could support the green home loan scheme ahead of its expected launch in 2012.

The coalition has said that it wants to see energy companies and high street firms pay for the upfront cost of domestic energy efficiency improvements, with households paying back the costs over time through their reduced energy bills.

However, Huhne insisted local councils would also have a key role to play in managing the rollout of home makeovers, particularly for those areas most in need of energy efficiency improvements.

"There is a clear role for local authorities in this new framework," he said. "Local councils could join with energy companies to reach those who live in houses that need it most; insulation measures are often cheaper if implemented a street at a time... I want to see local authorities playing a central role in delivering the Green Deal and we would very much welcome your ideas."

Huhne also said that he wanted to deliver closer links between Whitehall and local authorities to ensure that both national and local government is working to deliver the UK's carbon emission targets.

Many local authorities have been criticised for blocking proposed wind farms and Huhne promised that the coalition would reform the planning system to make it easier for councillors to approve renewable energy projects.

"To provide both clarity and flexibility, we’re proposing a new National Planning Framework," he said. "It will replace the plethora of existing guidance with one straightforward document. To support this new framework we will help local authorities, working together, to assess the potential for renewable and low-carbon energy development in their areas."

He added that the government did not want to impose renewable energy and carbon targets on local authorities, but offered a thinly veiled warning that it would not tolerate councils that consistently hamper efforts to cut national carbon emissions.

"What we need to do now is to discuss with you the appropriate structure through which local authorities can take the lead in accepting responsibility for carbon emissions in their own areas," he said. "We do not want to dictate local targets or carbon budgets to you. Equally, we have a responsibility to ensure that central and local government, working together, hit that 80 per cent target."

Huhne also confirmed his previously trailed commitment to repeal legislation that stops local authorities from selling electricity generated from wind turbines and other renewable energy technologies, arguing that the move would allow councils to play a proactive role in the deployment of community-scale renewable energy projects.