Council’s climate costs questioned

Twm Owen – Local democracy reporter

Financial savings as a result of energy reduction plans have benefitted schools and community groups, a council has claimed.

Among cash savings outlined by the councillor responsible for sustainability in Torfaen, Sue Morgan, are solar panels installed at 15 schools and adaptations to council buildings such as the installation of heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points.

Funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund has also been provided to help 28 community centres and sports clubs install carbon reduction technology, with the funding continuing in the 2025/26 financial year.

The Labour cabinet member said the council also put £180,000 into its project Appolo energy reduction plan, in March 2023, which in 2023/24 achieved savings of £374,000 meaning the investment was paid back in six months.

Pressures

The 15 solar panels on schools was funded with a £1 million interest free loan and Cllr Morgan said the panels weren’t in operation for all of the 2023/24 financial year while figures for the 2024/25 financial year are still awaited from the energy companies.

But Cllr Morgan said the loan was estimated on saving £237,742 each year with typically 75 per cent used to pay back the loan and the balance able to relieve school budget pressures.

Torfaen Borough Council secured more than £2.3m in 2024/25 for energy improvements such as heat pumps.

Reform UK councillor David Thomas had asked, at April’s council meeting, what “tangible amount” was spent to achieve the £374,000 saving Cllr Morgan had described as “tangible” in response to him at the March meeting.

Cllr Morgan, who represents Pontnewydd, told the Llantarnam councillor: “Asking for a total cost benefit analysis on tackling the climate and nature emergency is, I’m afraid, a little like asking a parent how much they spend on securing their children have a healthy and secure future and how much value they place on that.”

Cllr Thomas said he hadn’t received a “tangible” response to his March question on how much the council had spent in response to it declaring, in June 2019, a climate and nature emergency. He also asked for evidence of the council’s claim the spending had benefited families.

Declaration

Cllr Morgan said there were no available figures to show the benefit of the council’s support for foodbanks and foodshare programmes but said food poverty charity The Trussel Trust’s website could provide an “illustration of the scale”.

She also said since the declaration the councill has reduced its C02 emissions by 39 per cent and figures for 2024/25 will shortly be reported to the Welsh Government and said by voting to make the declaration, in 2019, Cllr Thomas had “confirmed” his support.

Cllr Thomas said he still hadn’t been provided with total amount spent and said: “I’m just looking for a specific amount of money spent on the climate change emergency this council has declared. I’m not really looking for all the other fancy bits around it.”