Creating healthier, warmer and more affordable buildings
Buildings play a vital role in Cumbria’s journey to net zero. Improving energy efficiency, adopting low carbon heating and creating sustainable new developments can reduce emissions, lower energy bills and improve comfort for residents and businesses.
Underpinned by data from Cumbria’s Carbon Baseline Report, the Buildings Sector Group created the Buildings Emissions Reduction Action Plan (ERAP) and it continues as a forum for stakeholders to discuss emission reduction activities in buildings, share good practice, and help inform the ongoing delivery of the ERAP in support of Cumbria’s net zero ambition for 2037.
Cumbria faces some unique challenges when it comes to reducing emissions from buildings.
Many properties are older and less energy efficient. Large numbers of homes and businesses are located in rural areas and are not connected to the gas grid, relying instead on fossil fuels such as heating oil. At the same time, the county needs new homes and commercial buildings that are fit for a low carbon future.
According to EPC data, around 65% of Cumbrian properties with an EPC rating are below EPC C, highlighting the scale of the retrofit challenge.
Alongside reducing emissions, improving buildings can:
Our ‘scope’ covers the full lifecycle of new and existing buildings, from maintenance and utilities to construction, demolition and retrofitting.
All energy-related household emissions from new and existing houses. These could be from heating, property maintenance and appliances to utilities like the water supply. Emissions from the construction and demolition processes are within this area along with emissions from retrofitting properties.
Emissions from all public and commercial buildings. From heating, appliances, maintenance and utilities to construction, demolition and retrofitting older properties.
Reducing emissions from buildings will require changes to existing buildings, heating systems and future developments. The sector group’s suggested approach to tackling these emissions has been split across four strategic priorities, which you can explore below.
Upgrade
Decarbonise
Standardise
Support
Looking for more detail?
You can see the full list of recommendations the Sector Group have put forward for businesses, local authorities, communities and individuals to help achieve each of these priorities in the Buildings ERAP below. See where you might be able to help!
The Emissions Reduction Pathway document sets out the strategic direction to reduce carbon emissions.
The Emissions Reduction Action Plan (ERAP) document sets out detailed proposed actions for emissions reduction.
Buildings
Success stories from across Cumbria showing how steps are being taken to reduce carbon emissions from buildings.
The Buildings Sector Group brings together organisations and individuals involved in designing, constructing, managing and operating buildings across Cumbria.
The group helps shape priorities, develop action plans and identify opportunities for collaboration that support the county’s net zero ambitions.
Sector group members meet frequently throughout the year, usually online. Meeting overviews will be shared below.
Dr Freya Wise (UWE Bristol) gave a presentation into the barriers to carbon reduction for buildings in the Lake District National Park and how these can be overcome. Findings from a survey conducted as part of her research revealed that while the majority of respondents had already undertaken improvements such as loft insulation, solar panels and double glazing, key barriers remain, including cost, shortages of skilled tradespeople, planning restrictions, and a lack of clear, trusted advice. Survey respondents generally supported the creation of Lake District-specific guidance, particularly covering suitable retrofit measures, costs and funding opportunities, and planning permission requirements. Discussion centred on how this guidance could be distributed, the importance of trusted traders, links with Futureproof Cumbria, planning advice for older buildings, and improving public understanding of retrofit options. Freya confirmed that guidance development is the next stage of the project and invited feedback from stakeholders.
The group also received an update on the retrofit modelling toolkit developed to help partners assess carbon reduction opportunities across different housing archetypes. Recent improvements mean it can now use both Cumbria-specific and more generalised housing data to estimate potential carbon savings and investment costs, helping organisations prioritise retrofit activity. Members were encouraged to test the toolkit before the next meeting and provide feedback.
In addition, the group discussed the plan for a commissioned piece of policy work, examining how planning policy, local plans, building regulations and related frameworks can better support local carbon reduction ambitions. The work will identify opportunities, gaps and recommendations for local, regional and national decision-makers, while also considering examples of best practice from other areas.
A new retrofit toolkit has been developed to support prioritisation and, hopefully, investment in retrofit activity in Cumbria. The model provides a cost-benefit analysis of upgrading a range of Cumbrian home archetypes, showing which homes would deliver the greatest impact in terms of cost savings, carbon reduction, or both, against the cost of implementation. This was a key action for the group, and it is great to see it completed. The Futureproof Retrofit team is also developing resources to help the public understand what they can do to make their homes more comfortable, save money, and move away from fossil fuels.
The group also met with Anna Moore from Domna Homes, who chairs the National Retrofit Hub Finance Group. Building on the finance briefing paper webinar held earlier in the year, Anna explained the importance of understanding the home and its data points first, so that grants and investment can be guided by evidence rather than the other way round. This helps ensure better cost control, more targeted funding, and proportionate decision-making. Anna also spoke about proven models for private investment, and how financed schemes for social or low-income homes can also help deliver better value for able-to-pay customers, as has happened elsewhere. This gave the group useful food for thought about how to take forward work with those able to progress it.
New builds have also featured on recent agendas, with partner member Story Homes helping the group to unpick what the recently published Future Homes Standard means for new homes in Cumbria. We also invited smaller building contractors to help us understand the challenges involved in delivering smaller developments with higher environmental performance than both current and incoming standards. Although none were able to attend the meeting, we will continue trying to engage them. If any building organisations would like to be involved in that discussion, please email buildings@zerocarboncumbria.co.uk.
Priorities:
1 – Improve and increase public understanding of retrofit activity and its benefits for both homeowners and the construction sector by reframing the narrative around comfort and financial benefits. Use case studies to highlight positive results and help counter misinformation. Support Futureproof with its work on archetypes and likely retrofit pathways, and consider methods for gathering and analysing data to widen the profile of retrofit in Cumbria. Ultimately, this should contribute to a framework for a Cumbrian retrofit hub.
2 – Understand the skills challenge and identify solutions to improve building stock through both new build and retrofit. This includes helping to address the skills gap, understanding why upskilling is not always happening, and supporting local retrofit hub plans. It should also include more input from the National Retrofit Hub and progress on the policy paper it has put forward. Support councils to ensure they make the most of grant schemes to strengthen the local supply chain and skills market, and are ready for any additional funding opportunities, such as Warm Homes Skills Grants.
3 – Finalise the buildings retrofit toolkit and use the findings to prioritise retrofit action, while developing a small group to consider next steps and link these to discussions about finance opportunities, as highlighted in the National Retrofit Hub presentation.
If you feel you’d have something to contribute to a sector group meeting, get in touch to request an invite.
The Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership is driving change through the work of its four Sector Groups, which focus on the main sources of emissions in Cumbria.
To get involved and find out more about the Partnership, please contact Partnership Manager, Michael Robinson.
