Agenda item

The Executive RESOLVED that the Council becomes a member of APSE and APSE Energy.

The Executive considered a report proposing that the Council became a member of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and APSE Energy. APSE Energy was a bespoke Local Authority Energy Collaboration that constituted a partnership of member authorities which looked to leverage and maximise the opportunities afforded to local authorities by working together on a national scale on the green energy agenda. APSE Energy was part of the wider APSE family with the specific aim of getting local authorities back into a position of influence in the local energy market.

It was reported that one of the high priority actions in the Council’s draft Climate Change Action Plan was to consider the benefits of it becoming members of APSE and APSE Energy, with membership expected to assist the Council in delivering its Plan and meeting its target of making the Council carbon neutral by 2030. The Climate Change Working Group had recently considered a business case and had recommended that the Council become members of the organisations.

Members reviewed the business case for the Council to become a member of both APSE and APSE Energy. It was noted that becoming members of both organisations was cheaper than only becoming a member of APSE Energy. The current annual fee for joining APSE and APSE Energy was £4,669. It was proposed that from the start of the 2021/22 financial year membership fees would be paid from a requested Climate Change revenue budget.

RESOLVED that the Council becomes a member of APSE and APSE Energy.