Purpose

Proposed
decision:
 
The Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services to agree
to:
 

 authorise the granting of a Lease in excess
of 20 years to Solar for Schools in order that a new
solar panel installation can be built within the grounds of St.
Nicholas’ School, Canterbury to serve the school; and

 delegate authority to the Director of
Infrastructure, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services to take necessary
actions, including but not limited to entering into relevant
contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement
this. 

 
Reason for the
Decision
The granting of a Formal Lease
in excess 20 years requires a Key Decision in accordance with the
County Council’s Property Management Protocol.
 
Background
The school is owned by the County
Council.  Solar for Schools have
approached a number of operational Schools in Kent, of various
status, regarding installation of solar panels on the roofs of such
Schools together with reports of potential system sizes and
financial savings.  The school is one of
two Schools owned and maintained by the County Council who are
interested in the proposal.  Three other
Schools of different tenue and status have had such installations
installed without any problems and achieving notable savings on
costs of electricity consumption. 
 
In order that such an
installation can be provided at this School, it is necessary for
Solar for Schools to be granted a lease of over 20 years in respect
of the land and accommodation needed to install the solar panel
project.  It is necessary for the new
solar panels to be provided on part of the site, as owned by the
County Council, for use and operation by the school.  
 
The proposed new solar panels
will serve the school only and in addition to savings in cost of
electricity consumption, Solar for Schools will provide educational
content linked to the national curriculum and link such tuition of
green skills to the school’s pupils direct, also saving staff
resource. 
 
For consistency with other
leases granted on operational schools to Solar for Schools, a lease
of over 20 years will need to be granted for the provision and
operation of the new solar panels. 
 
Options
Considered 
 
Using the County Council’s
Loan Scheme for Schools - solar PV systems could
be installed through the LASER Energy Department for Education
(DfE) Compliant Solar Framework.  This
option could still require capital investment from Schools, which
most Schools cannot currently afford.
 
Do nothing - Alternatively, the County Council could do nothing and allow its
School to continue using electricity as it does at present, which
in turn will generate higher running costs. This would not be cost
effective, due to the possibility of having a solution presented by
Solar for Schools that would not cost any capital to implement and
derive lower running costs for the school.   
 
How the proposed
decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy
2022-2026  
This decision supports Framing
Kent’s Future – Our Council Strategy 2022-2026 as the
decision assists in enabling the provision of more cost-effective
electricity consumption to existing education buildings used by the
school.  This supports KCC's commitment
to maintaining its strategic role in supporting schools in Kent to
deliver accessible, high-quality education
provision.  
 
Infrastructure for the
Communities will be improved by the new solar panels using modern
materials and technologies associated with prevailing solar panel
design and construction and protected for long term use by the
presence of a long lease.?
 
Environmental Step Change
objectives will also be achieved, as the proposed lease will compel
the operator to use sustainable materials and reduce any carbon
emissions compared to existing solar panels which will help the
County Council achieve its Net Zero
targets.  
 

Decision

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services agrees
to:
 
1.       authorise the granting of a Lease in excess of 20 years to
Solar for Schools in order that a new solar panel installation can
be built within the grounds of St. Nicholas’ School,
Canterbury to serve the school; and
2.       delegate authority to the Director of
Infrastructure, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services to take necessary
actions, including but not limited to entering into relevant
contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement
this.