Officers from local authorities in France and Greece have spent a few days in Bridgend County Borough as part of a project designed to share experience and information on ways of tackling fuel poverty, reducing CO2 emissions and energy consumption, and creating more sustainable housing.
The visit has been organised as part of Bridgend County Borough Council’s involvement in the Urbact II CASH project (Cities Action For Sustainable Housing) – the only local authority in Great Britain to have been accepted to participate in the initiative.
Also featuring councils from Germany and Bulgaria, the project will provide opportunities for Bridgend County Borough Council to learn and benefit from the experience of its European neighbours and to introduce new schemes, ideas and projects that will benefit local residents in the face of rising energy bills and environmental concerns.
Councillor John Spanswick, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “The CASH project is focused on the sustainable renovation of housing stock in order to reduce energy consumption. It seeks to renovate public and private housing to make them more affordable and efficient, especially for households that are economically vulnerable.
“We have already seen a number of changes in this direction in Bridgend County Borough. For example, our partner Valleys to Coast Housing, has already installed double-glazed windows and doors at 6,500 homes, and are currently in the process of installing ‘A’ rated boilers, hot water jackets and cavity and loft insulation.
“The visit from our European neighbours will form part of an assessment that will help by providing a clear understanding of where we are currently and what we need to do next to introduce further benefits for local communities.”
