BLACKPOOL COUNCIL IS FAILING TO MEET ENERGY TARGETS

9.00.35pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 8th Aug 2006

Blackpool Council is struggling to bring about energy efficiency improvements in line with government targets, says a local Councillor.

Councils have to ensure that household energy efficiency levels are raised by 2% a year if they are to meet the 2010 deadline for improvement. But local councils are lagging behind, and according to new government figures the majority of local authorities across the

North West are set to miss the target. (SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS OF HOW BLACKPOOL IS PLACED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST)

Latest figures published by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show that only 12 out of 43 councils in the North West are currently on course.

Results in Blackpool are bad news both for local householders and for the environment, Liberal Democrat Councillor Jon Bamborough has warned.

But Cllr. Bamborough, who represents Anchorsholme Ward, says that councils should be given greater financial or legal incentives to take action, which would cut fuel bills for individuals and help in the fight against global warming.

He said: "The Government should speed up the pace by offering significant financial rewards to those councils that meet them ahead of schedule. Increasing energy efficiency in domestic homes is one of the most effective ways of tackling climate change and reducing energy demand."

"Whilst recognising that here are currently very little incentives for councils like Blackpool to take a lead in promoting energy efficiency, being bottom of the list is disgraceful and those improvements that are being made are usually by individuals without significant enouragement or support from the Council."

"Blackpool needs to put in place a 10 and 20-year energy efficiency programme, and to set an example by ensuring that every public building is heated and lit in the most energy efficient manner."

Notes

Below are the latest DEFRA energy efficiency figures for every local council in the North West.

See www.defra.gov.uk/environment/energy/heca95 for further information

The information published this month relates to the period ending 31March 2005. In cases in bold, the appropriate information for the year 2004/5 is not available, so the latest available figure has been used.

Council Improvements in energy efficiency, 01/04/96 to 31/03/05 (%)

Allerdale Borough 10.73

Barrow-in-Furness Borough 15.29

Blackburn with Darwen Borough 11.73

Blackpool Borough 5.97

Bolton Metropolitan Borough 18.4

Burnley Borough 18.9

Bury Metropolitan Borough 18.39

Carlisle City 19.02

Chester City 27.24

Chorley Borough 10.81

Congleton Borough 8.76

Copeland Borough 19.27

Crewe and Nantwich Borough 7.65

Eden District 7.73

Ellesmere Port & Neston Borough 16.33

Fylde Borough 8.8

Halton Borough 16.77

Hyndburn Borough 19.5

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough 15.65

Lancaster City 13.2

Liverpool City Council 20.39

Macclesfield Borough 16.8

Manchester City 16.57

Oldham Metropolitan Borough 21.23

Pendle Borough 9.65

Preston Borough 25.26

Ribble Valley Borough 9.76

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough 12.53

Rossendale Borough 20.56

Salford City 19.97

Sefton Metropolitan Borough 12.91

South Lakeland District 12.4

South Ribble Borough 14.36

St Helens Metropolitan Borough 25.7

Stockport Metropolitan Borough 10.4

Tameside Metropolitan Borough 12.65

Trafford Metropolitan Borough 12.90

Vale Royal Borough 13.75

Warrington Borough 15.47

West Lancashire District 11.02

Wigan Metropolitan Borough 16.5

Wirral Metropolitan Borough 14.11

Wyre Borough 6.98

North West Average 14.9

To be on target for a 30% improvement in household energy levels,

councils should now be achieving a 18% improvement from 1996.