Question reference: S6W-25596
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 20 February 2024
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Current status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 5 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities that are yet to publish their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and delivery plan have indicated by what date these will be completed, and, if so, (a) which ones and (b) what timeframes have been offered.
Answer
The Scottish Government is able to confirm that we are expecting around a further 9 local authorities to publish their LHEES by the end of March 2024, with the remaining LHEES expected to be published by the end of the summer.
We are encouraged by the quality of the LHEES published to date. The local authorities have taken a reasonably consistent approach in development of their LHEES, and those covering cities and urban areas have identified strong heat network opportunities.
The Scottish Government is aware that, in developing LHEES, local authorities have faced a number of challenges which have hindered their ability to meet the deadline, including recruiting staff, procuring technical consultants, the timing of governance processes, data access and timescales for stakeholder engagement.
We continue to engage closely with local authorities to support them finalising their LHEES. Through our quarterly check ins we are able to understand their progress and provide tailored support where required including technical assistance through Zero Waste Scotland.
An LHEES review service has also been provided to act as a critical friend for local authorities, providing feedback to ensure they are able to meet the requirements set out in the LHEES Guidance.
The Scottish Government is providing long term funding to support local authorities to develop and deliver their LHEES with funding committed for each local authority of £75,000 per year until 2027-28.