South Ayrshire Council - Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES)

What is an LHEES?

An LHEES is a Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy, which sets out the long-term plan for improving energy efficiency and decarbonising heat in buildings across the SAC area. This will mean ensuring all buildings, homes, businesses, and public sector, are well insulated and utilising a zero-carbon heating source.

LHEES is a mandatory part of Scottish Government Heat in Buildings work and are driven by our statutory targets for net zero, and 2040 fuel poverty targets. This is a vital part of how we tackle the climate emergency locally and nationally.

South Ayrshire Council's LHEES and delivery plan were agreed unanimously at full Council in August.

What will the LHEES do?

This strategy will:

Set out how different building types can change to meet national and local objectives,

Identify strategic heat zones, and set out potential measures for reducing buildings emissions within each zone; and

Prioritise areas for delivery, against national and local priorities.

Accompanying the strategy is a delivery plan, a live guide to actions we are taking in the council and beyond. This will be developed in partnership with key stakeholders, providing a strong basis for action for local communities, government, investors, developers and wider stakeholders, pinpointing areas for focussed intervention and early, low-regrets measures.

The LHEES will be reviewed and updated on a five-year basis, with the delivery plan will tracking year to year actions as they occur. This builds on connected strategies across the Council, working with and supporting the overarching Council Plan.

What are the main priorities?

Priority One -Community and Sustainability

Supporting those most vulnerable within our communities is a cornerstone of South Ayrshire Council priorities, from our Council Plan to our Local Housing Strategy. Our LHEES will prioritise reduction of fuel poverty and associated health inequalities, enhancement of our natural environment, and the delivery of an equitable, just transition.

Priority Two -Economy and Opportunity

Delivering energy efficiency and developing low carbon technologies have the potential to support economic development, job creation, and foster closer engagement between stakeholders across South Ayrshire. Our LHEES will support the Ayrshire Energy Masterplan in delivering the benefits of a just transition to all of South Ayrshire.

Priority Three -Education and Skills

Supporting an energy transition is a cross-generation task, so we must look to support the skills available to deliver this now and in the future. We must look at fostering education and innovation in schools, further education, higher education, and within industry apprenticeships. Our LHEES will work to establish links across all age ranges, supporting a skills workforce to put South Ayrshire at the forefront of the move to Net Zero.

How can I get involved?

LHEES is a live strategy, with delivery plan actions developing year on year and the full strategy being reviewed in 5 years.

This is not just a Council strategy on Council buildings, but an area-wide approach to meeting our climate targets, both in South Ayrshire and Scotland as a whole. We need to work with residents and businesses across the authority, so engagement work will continue through social media, public and private sector partners, and community engagement groups.

The full strategy can be seen here: Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy 2024-29 Aug 2024 v3 (PDF) [11MB]

The full technical report is also available here: LHEES Full Technical Report v5 (Word doc) [13MB]