Colchester Borough Council decides not to apply for green house money

Some 900 council houses owned by the local authority currently fail to meet the government's 2035 minimum heat efficiency target

Hundreds of council homes that fall short of the government's 2035 minimum energy efficiency standards will not be upgraded.

Councillors were told 900 properties owned by Colchester Borough Council would not meet standards after the authority refused an opportunity to apply for retrofit funding.

The authority voted to promote the government's Green Homes grant instead.

The government wants all homes to reach at least a C rating by 2035.

The authority was told 900 of the council's 5,800-strong housing stock had a rating of D or below, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Council documents state that the Green Homes grant scheme offers a maximum of £10,000 per household towards improving energy efficiency and is targeted towards low income households.

The energy ratings grade the performance of homes' energy efficiency, with A being the most efficient and G being the least.

While applications for the Green Homes Grant closed nationally in March 2021, homeowners and landlords can still apply for the local authority delivery of the scheme.

The council also resolved to working with private landlords and housing associations to ensure the target is met.