Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Finance. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Local Investment.

This report will seek a decision on the award of the new electricity and gas contracts from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2029 for the Council's Streetlighing, Corporate and Housing portfolios and Schools that choose to opt-in.

The Council Constitution Part 5 section C Protocol for key decisions advises at paragraph 4a that contracts for the supply of energy are exempt from being defined as a key decision.

Cllr Chandwani and Cllr das Neves returned to the room.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Local Investment introduced the report which sought approval from Cabinet to access LASER Framework Agreements and to use these to call off and procure contracts for the supply of electricity and gas to the Council for the four-year period - 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2029.

The following was noted in response to a question from Cllr Cawley Harrison:

Officers were looking at the business cases for increasing the solar portfolio onto all buildings. That would be based on roof space availability and the long-term plans for the Council. There was a case a few months ago about the solar panels on Hornsey Library not operating correctly, that had since been under review. An assessment of the solar panels across the portfolio was now being managed and maintained to ensure that they were operating. Officers were working towards the long-term maintenance of those systems to ensure that they were fully functional for the summer period. In terms of the demand technology and building energy management systems, it was an ongoing programme that was currently being worked through.

Further to considering exempt information at item 28,

RESOLVED

1.          To consider the outcome of consultation with leaseholders set out at paragraphs 6.44 to 6.51 of this report.

2.          To approve that the Council enters into an access agreement with Kent County Council, trading as LASER so the Council can access framework agreements for Electricity (Flex 2024 – 2028, Framework Number: Y22009) and Gas (Flex 2024 – 2028 Framework Number: Y22008), as permitted under CSO 7.01 b) (selecting one or more contractors from a Framework).

3.          To approve the award of an electricity supply contract under LASER framework agreement Y22009, to Npower Commercial Gas Limited (Npower) for the period of four years commencing on 1 April 2025 and expiring on 31 March 2029, with an estimated value of £36.68m in accordance with CSO 9.07.1 d) (Contracts value at £500,000 or more can only be awarded by Cabinet).

4.          To approve the award of a gas supply contract under LASER framework agreement Y22008 to Corona Energy Retail 4 Ltd (Corona) for the period of four years commencing on 1 April 2025 and expiring on 31 March 2029, with an estimated value of £19.76m in accordance with 9.07.1 d) (Contracts value at £500,000 or more can only be awarded by Cabinet).

5.          To approve the use of LASER’s ‘Price Certainty’ energy buying strategy for both electricity and gas.

6.          To approve the use of LASER’s ‘Procurement Only Service Option’ (POSO) as opposed to the ‘Fully Managed’ (FM) service.

7.          To agree that the annual and forthcoming year’s estimated expenditure, will be reported to the Director of Finance and Cabinet Member for Finance. Where the estimated expenditure exceeds those stated in 3.3 and 3.4 above, Cabinet delegates the authority to the Director of Finance  after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, the approval to vary the contracts and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129