Spelthorne Borough Council
Knowle Green, TW18 1XB
01784 451449
Netzero@spelthorne.gov.uk
[Date]
Carolyn McKenzie
Director – Environment & Planning
Surrey County Council
Victoria Gate
Chobham Road
Woking
GU21 6JD
Endorsement for the Surrey Retrofit Strategic Action Plan.
As Chair of Environment & Sustainability Committee from Spelthorne Borough Council, I am writing to endorse our support for the Surrey Retrofit Strategic Action Plan (the “Plan”).
The Plan has been strongly supported by local stakeholders and sets out a coordinated, place-based approach to accelerate home retrofit, reduce fuel poverty and increase environmental sustainability across Surrey.
Developed through the Local Area Retrofit Accelerator (LARA) Pilot, the Plan brings together a broad coalition of local stakeholders, united by a shared commitment to deliver retrofit and unlock wider local economic and social benefits through collective action.
This Plan aligns with and supports our existing policies and commitments such as Climate Change Strategy, Corporate Priorities: Environment, Addressing Housing Need and Resilience.
We will benefit in particular from:
- Helping Spelthorne BC meet borough-wide net zero commitments
- Improving the quality of housing across Spelthorne BC
- Supporting economic development of the retrofit market and supporting the creation of local jobs
- Takes advantage of national funding streams (Warm Homes Grant)
- Access to shared resources and expertise.
In addition, we are well-positioned to contribute to:
- 1.2D: Support data-sharing initiatives (Action 1.2D) by providing local housing and EPC data to improve targeting of retrofit interventions
- 2.1A: Promote trusted advice channels through council communications
- 2.1H: Partner with community groups (e.g., Zero Carbon Guildford) to deliver home energy visits and workshops locally
- 2.1.2: Develop targeted outreach for vulnerable households facing higher barriers, ensuring inclusivity
- 4.: Encourage council procurement policies that prioritize accredited local installers
Spelthorne BC has already worked on the following key projects that support local retrofit:
- Support SCC with Solar Together communications
- Promoting funding grants (Warm Homes Grant, ECO4)
- Working with community groups on promoting home improvement works
and is able to bring learnings from these to support the Plan’s implementation.
Whilst we note from the Plan that commitment of resources is voluntary and non-binding, we have the following relevant expertise / skills in-house to support this Plan’s implementation:
- Communications
- Community outreach
- Retrofit Expertise
We believe the Surrey Retrofit Strategic Action Plan, combined with stakeholder partners’ expertise in local retrofit, presents a unique opportunity to collaborate and develop relevant projects that will drive the sustainable growth of retrofit across Surrey.
Spelthorne BC intends to support overall delivery of the Plan by:
· Working collaboratively on projects launched to achieve the Goals
· Sharing learning with partners
· Attending relevant forums and stakeholder workshops/events set up under the Plan
· Publicly promoting achievements of projects
· Supporting future funding bids
We're excited about the opportunities the Surrey Retrofit Strategic Action Plan creates and look forward to working together to turn ambitions into real, lasting impact for our communities.
I enclose with this letter a digital version of our logo for inclusion in the endorsements page of the Plan.
Your sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed Name]
[Job title]