Title: / Community Services Update /
Author: / Stephen Glazebrook (Interim Community Services Manager) /
1. / Introduction
This report covers progress on a number of current issues:
- Elizabeth Court
- Incredible Edible Sustainable Food Project
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Wind Turbine at Brocks Hill Country Park
- Notice Board at Bushloe House
2. / Recommendations
That the Group notes the information provided within the report.
3. / Elizabeth Court
Following the discussion at the last meeting a report was submitted to the Service Delivery Committee on 17 January 2017 recommending a number of actions to address the problems of dampness and condensation affecting the building.
A recent sample survey of the block identified the following defects:
- Faulty cavity wall insulation
- Cold bridging and mould growth
- Heat loss due to missing and poorly laid loft insulation
- Lack of adequate ventilation
- Poor condition of double glazing
- Heat loss due to partial solid wall construction
- High energy bills
- Health risk due to excessive airborne moisture content
- Extraction of the failed cavity wall insulation and refilling with high performance thermal beads
- Removal of debris and obstructions in the cavities
- Partial external wall insulation to solid wall areas
- Improved ventilation
- New loft insulation
- Replacement double glazing
- Educating the residents on a number of lifestyle issues
4. / Incredible Edible Sustainable Food Project
Further to the presentation by Malcolm Brown at the last meeting there are 4 sites that are currently being developed :
- Wigston Library (where they grow food to supply the lunch club at Boulter Crescent)
- Elizabeth Court
- Boulter Crescent and Community Flat
- 4 containers in Bull Head Street, Wigston
5. / Cycle to Work
The Cycle to Work scheme is a Government approved scheme which encourages employees to commute to work by cycle instead of by car thus reducing congestion, pollution and carbon footprint.
Employees can purchase a new cycle and save up to 32% in tax and national insurance and spread the cost by paying monthly through a salary sacrifice arrangement.
Oadby and Wigston Council have re-opened the scheme from 1st February and new applications will be accepted until the end of the month.
6. / Wind Turbine at Brocks Hill Country Park
Brocks Hill Country Park and Visitor Centre was a Millennium Commission funded project which opened in April 2001. The Council partnered with De Montfort University’s Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development to obtain the funding and the IESD designed the energy efficiency systems to be installed. The Millennium Commission considered the wind turbine to be an essential part of the scheme and would not pay the final grant payment to OWBC until a turbine had been installed.
A 20kWh Gazelle wind turbine was installed in the Country Park in September 2004 and permission to export to the National grid was granted in November 2004.
The turbine cost £98,991 for supply and installation plus project management fees. 50% of the funding (£48,495) came from a successful grant application to the Building Research Establishment under their Clear Skies Initiative, the remainder coming from the Millennium Commission. The visitor centre had first call on the electricity generated with the excess being exported to the grid; no payment is received for the exported electricity due as the amount generated falls below the minimum required for payments to be made.
Despite being installed at the highest point of the park, electricity generation was compromised by the surrounding trees; the cut-in wind speed is 4.5 metres per second but the average wind speed for the location is only 4.9 metres per second and therefore even when fully operational the turbine frequently stood idle.
When fully operational the turbine was producing an average of 7,068kWh of electricity a year. The turbine developed a fault in 2007and had to have a new brake system installed. Somewhere around 2008/9 there was a further failure. In August 2011 there was a report to Committee saying the turbine has a broken electrical slip ring that requires replacing at a cost of approx £4k but the work was never carried out.
The turbine has not been operational since 2008/9 and recently there has been some public interest in the issue and there was an offer from a local business man to pay the cost of the repairs in return for receipt of the feed in tariff.
It is felt that a feasibility study should be carried out to ascertain whether it can be economically repaired.
7. / NoN.. Notice Board at Bushloe House
The notice board at the entrance to Bushloe House is in a poor state of repair and arrangements are being to replace it with a new one which will comply with the corporate standard.
Email: / / Tel: / (0116) 257 2674
Implications
Financial (CR) / No significant implications.
Legal (AC) / CR5 Effective utilisation of assets. Section 20 legislation in respect of sold properties at Elizabeth Court.
Risk (SG) / CR1 Decreasing Financial Resources – Taking action now will
prolong the life of Elizabeth Court. CR4 Reputation Damage - Failure to address the dampness issues at Elizabeth Court- allowing the wind turbine to stand idle.
Equalities (SG) / No significant implications.
Equality Assessment
Initial Screening / Full Assessment / Not Applicable