Council's Cabinet Climate Lead asks Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to work in partnership

 

Dear Ed,

 

I would like to offer you my sincere congratulations on your recent appointment to this vital role in delivering the Government's commitment to clean energy.

We look forward to working closely with you and your team to achieving energy security and net zero. We recognise this mission as the cornerstone to delivering our shared ambitions and a pillar to the success of the Government manifesto.

In Hounslow, our corporate ambition for a cleaner, greener borough is at the heart of everything we do as an organisation and stewards of our borough. As the Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport in Hounslow, I am immensely proud of the borough’s exceptional efforts in addressing climate change and driving the transition to a net-zero future.

While challenges remain, Hounslow sees fantastic opportunities. These include job creation, skills development, a greener economy, improved health, and social benefits. The council recognises that national-level action, supported by ambitious projects and funding, is essential to achieve meaningful carbon reduction at scale.

Hounslow Council’s leadership in climate action and net zero sets a high bar for others to follow. As we navigate the complexities of climate change, Hounslow’s bold steps inspire hope and demonstrate that local action can drive global impact.

We are the vanguard of tackling climate change in London and the UK. We are committed to becoming Net Zero by 2030 for our Council operations and estate which includes our vehicle fleet and 13,000 social housing properties whilst influencing wider borough emissions reduction, demonstrating our resolve to lead by example. Our commitment extends beyond mere rhetoric; it is embedded in our actions and policies.

We have made demonstratable strides in leading the way in net zero. Our vision for Hounslow and our achievements are set to be a blueprint for scalable change and benefits for all our communities.

The transition to Net Zero requires a refreshed approach to funding climate infrastructure. Recognising local authorities as key partners for decarbonising buildings, transport, and energy we need long term, fair and flexible funding arrangements which can be applied to a range of infrastructure asset classes. This would be a significant positive shift away from previous government’s regressive approach which forced councils to compete against each other for limited funding pots with unrealistic delivery timescales and unnecessarily restrictive criteria.

Hounslow recognises a new government is not in a position to provide all the investment required to achieve net zero and supports the role of responsible private sector investment. Hounslow has been providing sector leadership of Net Zero Neighbourhoods enabling a just transition to benefit residents through: high-quality jobs; warmer and cheaper-to-heat homes; and improved neighbourhoods that are more resilient to the impact of climate change. Working with 3Ci, GLA, Green Finance Institute and leading a diverse cohort of London Boroughs we are supporting the development of the blended finance model which will be the engine for investment into neighbourhood transition.

A key limiting factor to Net Zero transition is constraints on grid capacity and energy supply. This is being acutely felt in West London and is having a severe impact on our ability to bring forward low carbon housing development and retrofit existing housing stock with renewable community energy generation and storage solutions. Hounslow has been at the forefront working with GLA and other boroughs to develop a West London Local Area Energy Plan. This alone is insufficient to meet the challenge and significant investment is required to reinforce the grid before 2037 to enable our growth and decarbonisation ambitions to be achievable.

We set out several key asks to address this critical strategic risk:

• Collaborate with Boroughs, GLA Infrastructure Coordination Service, Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) and other partners to ensure allocation process for energy grid capacity is informed by comprehensive data on development consents, project starts, and completions
• Simplify and expedite regulatory procedures to address queue management and enable faster approval and implementation of utility connections and permits
• Ensure utility companies stick to their SLAs and effectively manage the delivery of medium and long-term infrastructure needs
• Address Data Centre Planning: In collaboration with affected boroughs, the GLA, and other partners resolve planning constraints to effectively manage the impact of data centres on the energy grid
• Increase Funding for Energy Infrastructure: additional funding to support housing projects that require new energy infrastructure, particularly those funded by housing grants

We invite you to Hounslow’s Net Zero Summit to witness the transformative work we’re doing with our partners and community. This event will showcase case studies and programmes primed to accelerate our transition to a net zero future.

Your participation will reinforce the Government’s commitment to local net zero initiatives and meaningful engagement directly with local leaders, industry experts, and potential investors in sustainable projects.

We look forward to your positive response and to collaborating with you on our national mission to achieve net zero and secure a sustainable future for all.
Congratulations once again on your appointment.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Katherine Dunne

Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport