Richmond & Wandsworth Councils: Retrofit Blueprint Acceleration

Aligned Richmond & Wandsworth Councils on a collaborative, cross-functional blueprint for accelerating innovative solutions to Retrofit delivery

Background

Richmond & Wandsworth Councils work together across their boroughs on a number of portfolios and activities - this is an approach that maximises delivery effectiveness and sharing of resources and knowledge. However, when it comes to housing, planning and place, there are a number of significant differences between the contexts in which they operate. Structurally, Wandsworth Council has retained a direct role as Landlord for its residential housing estate, unlike in Richmond. Different demographics and rates/types of home ownership (e.g. with or without mortgages) differ. In common, however, they both have over 50% of borough housing stock with EPC ratings of D-G, a major challenge and opportunity for improvement.

Retrofitting buildings (residential and commercial) with improved, greener efficiency measures (for example air-source heat pumps, or loft insulation) has become a major priority, as the need to achieve carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions objectives across the region by 2030 interplays with a desire to alleviate living and energy costs, improve public health outcomes and invest in quality housing. This coincides with a wider movement within South London, who Studio Zao are supporting, to organise and promote the delivery of retrofit, alongside opening up the economic opportunity that this offers the local supply chain and workforce.

Brief

In this context, Richmond & Wandsworth Councils asked us to build on our wider Retrofit work in South London by consulting with them to drive alignment and strategic buy-in, across council departments and stakeholders. The focus was on creating collaborative, joined-up thinking on a complex, urgent topic, getting the approach right at the start to drive use cases and priorities, ultimately leading to a more productive and sponsored set of actions and approaches.

The project centred on the facilitation of an in-person workshop, held at Patch Twickenham, involving 25 senior cross-functional attendees from within the councils, and a knowledge share from the Retrofit Taskforce team in Westminster. The session developed a working definition of Retrofit, its scope within the Council, and how that differs from a borough level, through sub-regional, regional and national levels. A focus was put on key themes identified for exploration - including the Skills pipeline and the supply chain, Demand in the market (and how to stimulate this), as well as innovative Financing and Funding approaches. Finally, the group established the preferred vehicle for centralising activities across what had previously been siloed initiatives.

IMPACT & Outcomes

These findings and outputs were condensed and then embellished through our expertise in the Retrofit space. We provided the Richmond & Wandsworth Council team with a blueprint for how to take meaningful action, including working structures and hand-offs, priority needs and examples, and how this could be leveraged alongside wider sub-regional work (such as the Retrofit Skills Centre for South London).

Above all else, the report emphasised the buy-in from the group for a joined-up approach to delivery. It was clear that Retrofit was ‘everybody’s business’, not only Housing or Climate-focused but encompassing all council teams. This alignment - and the report to show it - will be crucial to actioning next steps and embedding Retrofit in the fabric of Council activities moving forward, including how this is presented and communicated to partners and residents in the Boroughs. The connections established with other London councils will also allow for a more efficient series of pilots and focuses that are relevant to South London, and improved knowledge share across the city.

This was Innovation Acceleration in action. To find out more about the ways that we help kick-start, mobilise and align leaders and stakeholders across complex, urgent challenges, reach out to Ch ris Baker.