Agenda item

The Executive RESOLVED that:

i.     the installation of solar photovoltaic panels at Places Leisure Camberley be agreed; and

ii.    the delivery of the project, including minor changes to the project plan or expenditure within the agreed budget, be delegated to the Strategic Director for Environment & Community in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Net Zero, Wellbeing & Environment and the Strategic Director for Finance and Customer Services.

The Executive RECOMMENDED to Full Council that a budget not exceeding the amount stated in the exempt Annex A to the agenda report be agreed for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels at Places Leisure, Camberley.

The Executive considered a report which set out the options and recommended that the Council installed solar photovoltaic panels (PV) on Places Leisure Camberley for the purposes of generation of its own electricity.

Under the proposal the Council would fund the installation of the panels and sell the generated electricity to Places Leisure, and thereby generate an income for the Council and save 16.3 tonnes of carbon emissions during its first year.

Whilst installations of PVs over a certain size required Distribution Network Operator approval and were normally led by the installer, it was not anticipated that this would cause any significant risk or delays to commencement of the project. It was noted that this was because the proposed system was relatively small compared to the overall energy usage of the building and thereby would not entail export of electricity back to the grid. Moreover, Members were reassured that the length of the existing contract with Places Leisure and the life expectancy of the building was significantly longer than the life expectancy of the Solar Panels.

RESOLVED that

(i)     the installation of solar photovoltaic panels at Places Leisure Camberley be agreed;

(ii)   the delivery of the project, including minor changes to the project plan or expenditure within the agreed budget, be delegated to the Strategic Director for Environment & Community in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Net Zero, Wellbeing & Environment and the Strategic Director for Finance and Customer Services; and

RECOMMENDED to Full Council that a budget not exceeding the amount stated in the exempt Annex A to the agenda report be agreed for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels at Places Leisure, Camberley.