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14
May
Cheap energy scheme for Harrogate revived
An attempt to create a cheap community energy scheme for homes in Harrogate was revived last night.
Harrogate Town Council received £39,943 from the government’s Great British Energy Community Fund in January to conduct a feasibility study into setting up a district heating network.
The network, which would connect homes to a central heating source via underground pipes, would initially serve Jennyfields, Bilton and Fairfax, which are the town’s most deprived areas.
The council appointed Sheffield-based Tomson Consulting Ltd to conduct the feasibility study in January but retendered the contract two months later after Tomson went into liquidation.
Last night (May 13), the council decided to continue with the scheme by appointing engineering consultants Buro Happold to carry out the study at a cost of £33,333.
Cllr Harrison
The Liberal Democrat-controlled council had already paid £3,079 to Tomson, plus £3,200 to Zero Carbon Harrogate and £1,800 to community group Hadca for help creating the service-level agreement, which means it had to fund the outstanding balance of £1,469.
Councillors voted unanimously to do so to keep the project alive but Cllr Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Saltergate, expressed reservations. He said:
My view on this overall has not been positive, notwithstanding the work that’s gone in, and I remain to be convinced.
My concern was the amount of money being spent on something that was not a strategic project that the town council was set up to do. The response at the time was, ‘it’s not local council taxpayers’ money, it’s a central government grant’, but I’m always of the view it’s taxpayers’ money — I don’t care where it comes from, we should spend wisely.
But he said proceeding now was “the right thing to do”.
Lib Dem Cllr Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate, said it would have been “silly” not to continue.
A map showing the three priority areas for the scheme.
Most of the meeting was heard in private session, with the press and public excluded.
But a report said Buri Happold “demonstrated the strongest overall strategic fit for the council and project requirements”.
It added the firm has “strong experience” of district heat network schemes and had conducted low-carbon heat feasibility studies for Craven District Council and a project to decarbonise residential streets in Armley, Leeds.
The report revealed 12 companies applied for the retendered project. Ten submitted quotes for between £30,000 to £35,000; one asked for £49,500 and another quoted £80,000. Only the successful bidder’s identity was revealed.
Buro Happold has to conduct the study by the end of the year. If it concludes a scheme is feasible, the council will have to find funding to set it up.
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