Caerphilly County Borough Local Delivery Group
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The Spaces We Live and Work In: Homes and Other Buildings

This strategy is currently in draft form.
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What is this chapter about?

This chapter is about the places we live and work, how they serve their purpose and users and their impact on carbon emissions and the environment. It looks at how buildings use and affect demand for energy and keep us warm and cool. It is about how new buildings will be designed and constructed and how current buildings will be adapted and optimised, and how these elements fit into the net zero 2050 puzzle.

Ultimately, it is about how we can move away from fossil fuels in the construction, powering and heating of our buildings and how we can educate building users on energy demand and efficiency, and the processes by which we can make less carbon intensive choices.

Why is this important?

Buildings are a huge and integral part of our lives and are a unique part of the historical and cultural identities of our communities. Buildings house individuals and families, allow businesses and public services to provide goods and services, and provide safety and security from the effects of climate change.

Buildings require energy to provide power and heat in the delivery of their functions – whether this is home appliances or manufacturing equipment. net zero depends upon ensuring that buildings, whether through retrofit or new construction, are fit for purpose and energy efficient alongside ensuring that the users of buildings understand their role in minimising energy demand and consequentially emissions resulting from building use.

Where are we now?

Building emissions are estimated at 313 ktCO2e for 2023, equating to 65% of total energy system emissions – this excludes emissions from waste and land use, land use change and forestry.

Heating comprised 48% of total energy across the County Borough with homes accounting for 72% of all heat demand.

In Caerphilly there are 81,000 domestic buildings:

Types of housing chart

96% of homes are connected to the gas grid, above the regional average of 91%. 5% of housing stock is unoccupied, below the Welsh average of 8.4%.

It’s amazing the difference that something small, like dialling back the heating one notch, can make.

The energy efficiency of housing stock varies across the County Borough. Homes in Blackwood, Hengoed and Caerphilly exhibit higher average Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings. Smaller settlements outside of these main population centres typically have lower EPC ratings.

In 2019, 9% of households in Caerphilly County Borough were regarded as being in fuel poverty, compared to 14% of households across Wales.

There are 5,500 non-domestic buildings:

Non Domestic Buildings chart
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What do we need to be driven by?

Overarching Legislation:

The UK has a legally binding target to reduce net emissions by 100% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels). The Climate Change Committee has stated that the UK will not meet its decarbonisation targets without almost complete decarbonisation of housing stock with residential buildings accounting for 20% of UK-wide GHG emissions.

The Heat Strategy for Wales, published in 2024 by Welsh Government, is led by five fundamental principles in tackling the challenge of heat decarbonisation in Wales:

  1. Net Zero
  2. Just Transition
  3. User-centric
  4. Holistic
  5. Agile

The strategy emphasises a whole-system approach, involving collaboration with the UK Government, industry, and local communities to achieve these goals. The accompanying action plan supplements the building specific actions outlined in Carbon Budget 2.

Social housing:

The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) ensures that all social housing in Wales is of good quality and suitable for residents’ needs. It requires homes to be in a good state of repair, safe and secure, energy-efficient, and equipped with modern kitchens and bathrooms. The standard also emphasises creating attractive and safe environments for tenants.

Optimised RetroFit (ORP)

ORP funding enables a whole house, pragmatic, approach to decarbonising existing homes. It considers the fabric, or materials homes are made from and the way we heat and store energy, and how it reaches our homes. It is open to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and local authorities (LAs) to install a variety of home decarbonisation measures in existing social housing stock. Its third phase finishes with financial year 24-25 so the follow-on will be a huge driver in the decarbonisation of social housing.

New Build Projects:

New build projects are likely to have an improved efficiency compared to older stock however the private housing market is still producing homes that are not fit for a zero-carbon future, we need to meet net zero standards and at scale.

Local Area Energy Plan

The Local Area Energy Plan for Caerphilly County Borough collates the evidence to identify the most effective route to reach a net zero energy system with a vision to transition the local energy system to net zero.  This plan details the current building energy demand from domestic and non-domestic buildings and identifies low-regrets interventions and actions for transitioning buildings within a net zero energy system.

The CCBC 2nd Replacement Development Plan (2RLDP) is currently being developed with the goal of decarbonising the County Borough’s energy system by 2050 as a major driver for change. There is a policy structure dedicated to decarbonisation which covers transportation, energy systems, and air quality which draws on the LAEP for continued development of infrastructure change to transition to net zero. Part of this change will see policies that help to guide new residential development to reach Passiv Haus standards for energy demand based on best principles of Placemaking and building technologies. This will be supported by changes in Building Code requirements that help reduce the high energy demand currently impacting the construction industry and which will help energy resilience and create energy security through a change and approach in how new building designs and integrated technology can work together to create energy resilience and a just transition to net zero.

Although it is important for new residential development to decarbonise and provide energy resilient solutions, it is equally important that new industrial, commercial and institutional development also plays a role in reaching net zero. Therefore, the 2RLDP will also contain policy and guidance that will promote net zero construction with increased energy efficiency and reduced energy demand in these sectors.

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What do we want to achieve?

By 2050, we want our buildings to be demanding less energy, generating renewable forms of energy, adapting to a changing climate, and still serving their purpose to families and the community, whilst providing safety, a sense of belonging, and ultimately contributing to our well-being and that of the planet.

  1. Eliminate fossil fuels – Buildings are no longer powered and heated by fossil fuels but use more sustainable and energy efficient means to reduce carbon emissions.
  2. Energy Efficient Buildings – Buildings, both old and new – domestic and non-domestic, are energy efficient, reducing energy demand.
  3. Construction materials and methods – will need to decarbonise to ensure their viability for the future energy resilience of communities.
  4. Education – Residents and businesses will have the knowledge and understanding to be able to use energy efficiently in buildings.
  5. High regulatory standards – new developments are built to high regulatory standards through construction and in operation utilising innovation in construction and ensuring low environmental impact whilst protecting placemaking and cultural priorities.

How will we know we’re getting there?

Indicator Baseline Notes
EPC Ratings for Domestic Buildings (Private) A – 140
B – 4,062
C – 22,413
D and below – 43,425
2023 LAEP Data
EPC Ratings for Domestic Buildings (Social Housing) A-39
B-99
C (75-80) – 1074
C (69-74) – 4893
D – 2184
E-73
F – 2
No DATA – 2318
Caerphilly Council Owned Social Housing Stock at January 2025
EPC Ratings for Non-Domestic Buildings TBC
Number of Heat Pump Installations (Domestic) 302 ASHP
43 GSHP
DFES Installed Capacity Report 2024
Non-Domestic Heat Pump Installations 105 sqm Floorspace DFES Installed Capacity Report 2024
Emissions from Buildings 313 ktCO₂e 2023 LAEP Data
Retrofit grant access – domestic & non-domestic TBC To be confirmed

How will we get there?

Educate and inform – build understanding and knowledge within communities on the changes needed to reduce energy demand and decarbonise buildings. Collaborate across educational institutions to address qualification and skills gaps. There is opportunity to include third sector building owners in the this; community buildings are as inefficient as our domestic housing stock.

Policy – using local policy levers to embed decarbonisation into developments within the County Borough. Collaborate regionally and nationally to contribute to the development of wider policy aimed at ensuring a just transition to net zero in the development and retrofit of buildings. Reduced energy demand can only be enhanced through the inclusion of energy storage systems and renewable energy production leading to energy security and resilience. Although policy structure can provide the guidance and background infrastructure to get to net zero, changing perceptions on what this means to everyday decisions will also require a change in public opinion to push those changes through to completion.

Net Zero Fire Station – SWFRS (South Wales Fire and Rescue Service) are working to decarbonise existing estate by removing gas heating and installing renewable generation where possible and striving to include sustainability and the environments as key objectives in any future redevelopment or refurbishment.

Construction will shortly begin on a new-build Fire Station at New Inn which will integrate renewable energy measures and ensure that the building fabric achieves contemporary thermal insulation targets. The scheme will aim to achieve BREEAM Excellent and be Net Zero Carbon (NZC) in operation and stand as an exemplar project within SWFRS’s Estate.

There will be 23 parking spaces, including three disabled bays and five electric vehicle charging stations, roof mounted solar panels. Five field maple trees will also be planted across the site, as well as a new hedgerow, shrubs, grass and a well-being area for staff and bat and bird boxes.

The inclusion of green spaces and considerations for local wildlife further enrich the project and as communities and services increasingly prioritise sustainability, projects like this serve as examples of how to balance functionality with environmental consciousness whilst being prepared for the current and future operational needs of the fire service.

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Local Supply Chains – support the building of local supply chains and skills to drive change in construction.

Lead by Example – Leverage public sector procurement and processes to decarbonise public buildings, contributing to the development of supply chains and skills development.

Establish equitable funding – support residents and businesses to be able to make the changes needed to their buildings.

Ensuring all buildings are equipped to cope with occupant (business and personal) digital connectivity and technology needs.

Collaboration & Innovation – continue to work with all stakeholders to foster innovation which supports net zero buildings and construction methods.

Strategic highlight: ABUHB ReFit Programme – The opening 3 new clinical centres mean that energy use and carbon emissions from buildings have increased as the size of the estate and clinical activity increases across the Health Board by making efficiencies in the operation of the building services (lighting, ventilation, heating, and hot water) throughout the year we have mitigated emissions increase to 0.3% in 2024.

ABUHB Estates and Facilities have made considerable progress with energy performance contract development. Through competitive tender the ReFit Cymru Programme contract was awarded to Vital Energi Ltd. This long-term partnership delivers significant investment in low-carbon and renewable energy projects across the main hospitals and community premises in the coming years through several phases of work. This will contribute significant carbon savings towards the decarbonisation ambitions of the Health Board.

During 23/24 the Health Board completed Initiative 9 of the NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan to optimise hospital building services. Heating, lighting and ventilation systems have been appraised and technical changes made to ensure that systems are running as efficiently as possible and operating only at times of occupancy. Current savings have been made in electricity and gas through these technical changes, delivering an annual carbon saving of 118 tonnes.

What are we already doing well?

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s ‘Agenda for Change’ housing vision commits to new homes being built to be net zero carbon. Through retrofit of existing homes, the council will deliver climate resilient homes in response to the climate emergency. The five strategic priorities of this agenda are underpinned by the cross-cutting themes of (i) sustainable development; (ii) health and well-being; and, (iii) equality, diversity and inclusion.

CCBC have committed to developing a policy framework within the 2nd Replacement Local Development Plan (2RLDP) that presumes in favour of carbon friendly construction in residential, commercial and industrial developments. The building of new homes will use carbon friendly construction methods which result in a reduction in energy consumption in all new housing developments. The use of innovative housing techniques such as modular build and Passivhaus will be encouraged alongside utilising eco-friendly material to create highly efficient homes.

‘Later Living’ homes are being built with energy efficiency and low costs for the customers in mind. The development programme is currently in excess of 30 sites and delivery is anticipated to be phased over the next 10 years. Caerphilly Homes’ priority is the delivery of energy efficient, compliant homes which reduce energy costs for the customers.

The Sustainable Communities for Learning programme is a collaboration between the Welsh Government and the Local Authority. It is a long-term strategic capital investment programme with the aim of creating a generation of 21st Century Schools. The Minister for Education and Welsh Language announced that from 1 January 2022 all new–build, major refurbishment and extension projects requesting funding support through the Programme will be required to demonstrate delivery of net zero carbon in operation plus a 20% reduction on the amount of embodied carbon – the carbon emitted through construction materials and the construction process.

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