XI CONEXIONES Y SOLUCIONES:
EN ESPERA DE LA TRANSICIÓN DEMOGRÁFICA
A joint venture between the local authority and an energy management company to establish Southampton District Energy Scheme has led to the development of 11km of connections, the production of 70 million kW hours of energy per annum and an annual saving of 11,000 tonnes of CO2.
to transfer risk to a private sector company which had necessary finance, skills and experience.’ The Southampton District Energy Scheme is owned by the Utilicom Group which has developed, financed and operated it. In return, the private sector needed security from the Council – low rent for the Heat Station site, a guarantee that the Council will be their first customer, transfer of EU funding won by the Council to the company and also cooperation in the future joint development of the scheme. Each year the Council shares in the profits from the scheme.
Management arrangements are important. Which
arrangement is most appropriate will depend on the type of service being provided. In most cases a combination of local authorities, private companies and development trusts will be involved. Supply of potable water is subject to statutory control and regulation by licensed water undertakers, most often private companies. Grey water recycling is most likely to be managed at the scale of a neighbourhood or building by a private company or individual.
Due to maintenance costs and liability, local authorities generally manage surface water drainage where it forms part of the public highway. Where balancing ponds are used, forming an amenity for residents and part of the open space network, they are more often managed by development trusts or private companies.
Waste
The challenge with waste is to encourage people to reuse and recycle materials. This involves more than just designing convenient places for people to take their recycling. The places need to be safe and clean to visit, and users need information on what they can do.
Management depends on the type of waste. In most cases the process is managed by a combination of local authorities, private companies and development trusts. Sorting materials and composting is generally managed by individuals. Where waste recycling facilities are not integrated into buildings, local authorities or private companies generally take responsibility for managing facilities. This is particularly the case for commercial and neighbourhood-wide facilities.
Where communities have an aspiration to promote more sustainable waste strategies, development trusts are sometimes able to take responsibility for community composting and recycling through a devolved
management agreement.
Energy 074
Energy service companies (ESCOs) or multi-utility service companies (MUSCOs) can be set up to create and operate low-carbon, resource-efficient energy. Initial costs in infrastructure will be recouped in time through energy sales. They can be managed by a combination of local authorities, private companies and development trusts. At a domestic scale, where energy is generated on plot through
photovoltaics, small-scale wind turbines, and ground source heat pumps, for example, management and maintenance will be the responsibility of individuals.
Like water, electricity and gas are generally supplied by licensed undertakers under statutory control and regulation. The supply networks are most often managed by private companies. District supply is generally managed by local authorities, agencies or private companies. In some cases where communities have an aspiration to promote more sustainable strategies, development trusts may take responsibility.
Communications
In the majority of cases, private companies provide technology in new developments and continue to manage the system. Where the technology enables a new neighbourhood to set up an intranet site, a development trust often manages and runs the facility.
5.1.3 Skills and resources
Skills
Where assets are handed over to the community, it will be necessary to build local capacity. Groups will need skills in financial planning and governance, as well as other specialist skills. Where a group is contracting for specialists to manage an asset, its members should receive basic training to enable them to do this effectively.
Where significant specialist skills are required, it is usually a more effective use of time and resources to buy them in from an external body. Where minimal training is required to enable assets to be maintained, it may be possible to develop these within the community.
Resources
There are many different ways of generating income to fund management initiatives. Two of the most common and effective are cross subsidy and management fees.
Cross subsidy
Income to pay for management and maintenance can be generated through indirect means. This is most common in the community sector where financial contributions from a number of small-scale initiatives (such as energy generation, car parking or the rental of properties) can fund community facilities such as a crèche, or help to maintain public open space.
MANAGING QUALITY PLACES 5.1
The centre of the New Islington Millennium Community development is a new water park. This creates a heart for the community and links the Ashton and Rochdale canals. It provides 3,000m of new canal side surrounded by nearly 10 hectares of parks and gardens.
Consideration was given to how this area could be effectively maintained and managed. Following legal advice which looked at risk, liability, funding, ownership, long-term governance and tax status it was decided that a Community Interest Company (CIC) would be the most appropriate management structure. Once the estate charge becomes sufficient to pay for the services required, the CIC will take a lease from the Homes and Communities Agency, take responsibility for management and receive the estate charge revenues and ground rents from management companies aross the development, known as zones.