Residents in Kirklees have missed out on millions of pounds of free help to keep their homes warm and well insulated.
While the four other councils in West Yorkshire have secured a combined £17 million in Government money for the Warm Homes Local Grant scheme, Kirklees Council failed to apply.
The news was revealed in a question to the council’s Cabinet by Green Party leader Clr Andrew Cooper, who demanded an explanation.
Bradford Council secured £7.1 million, Leeds £5.9 million, Calderdale £3.2 million and Wakefield £1.5 million in the first round of funding.
The scheme allows households earning £36,000 or less to have a free home survey and any energy-saving measures recommended – such as wall or loft insulation, air source heat pumps or solar panels – could be installed free of charge.
Clr Cooper (Newsome) said he checked the Government website and found that Kirklees was not participating in the scheme.
“Did we not apply or was our application unsuccessful?” he asked.
Council leader Clr Carole Pattison (above) said the council didn’t apply in the first round of funding for “justifiable” reasons but it would be applying in the second round.
Clr Cooper, speaking at the Cabinet meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall, said it was disappointing that the Labour Cabinet trumpeted its ‘green’ credentials yet missed out on funding that could have helped residents cut fuel bills and help the council reduce carbon emissions.
He said given the circumstances it was perfectly reasonable to ask why the council had missed out.
Clr Pattison replied: “It is reasonable to ask why not, and I can assure you that I have asked those questions.
“But, unfortunately, I’m not in a position to state publicly exactly what those reasons are. It does involve information which is really not meant to be in the public domain, I’m afraid.”
Clr Pattison said the council would apply for funding in the next round to “make up for that deficiency in future.”
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