Healthier and more energy efficient homes are aims for Oldham Council which has teamed up with Connected Places Catapult to try to increase the scope for retrofitting ageing housing stock.
The local authority and its delivery partner Carbon Co-op are keen for more private dwellings in the region to reduce their climate impact, while also improving the wellbeing of residents living in poorly insulated or heated homes.
Specialists from the Catapult begin a six-month study in October to identify local challenges and better understand the scale of the opportunity in Oldham. They will also propose targeted interventions – including innovative approaches to community-based retrofit – and suggest ways in which homeowners could best be engaged to support and promote new ideas.
Oldham was selected by the Catapult as a ‘location partner’ to produce a home retrofit delivery model for local communities, following consultation with a dozen UK local authorities.