Lib Dems bid to put city on map for energy efficiency (Cambridge Liberal Democrats)

Cambridge Liberal Democrats <camlibdems@gmail.com>

Lib Dems bid to put city on map for energy efficiency

June 18, 2009 9:45 AM

Councillor Catherine Smart

Cambridge Liberal Democrats are bidding to put the city on the map by showing how they can bring pre-fabricated council housing up to top energy efficiency standards.

Members want to join forces with leading architects, builders and the University to demonstrate their skills nationally.

They want to try for a share of a £10 million fund set up by the government to pay for work on 50 projects across the country which will demonstrate how to refurbish social housing to high energy standards.

Executive city councillor for housing, Catherine Smart, said: "This is an exciting opportunity to show how we could dramatically update our pre-fabricated housing stock to meet the expectations of the 21st century and put Cambridge on the map.

"If our bid were to be successful, we would receive government money to prove how effectively the council could work with regional businesses and the University to develop a project which could be rolled out across the country."

Cambridge City Council would team up with PRP Architects and Hill Residential to bid for a £170,000 grant for the project which could finance work on a three bedroom semi-detached pre-fabricated home - one of 30 owned by the council.

The grant, on offer through the Retrofit for the Future competition, would pay for the design and feasibility of the project, the building work and the final evaluation which would be carried out by Cambridge University.

Members will discuss the idea at the council's Community Services Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday (June 25).