Bath Preservation Trust today welcomed the adoption by B&NES Cabinet [last night] of supplementary advice on retrofitting listed buildings and undesignated historic buildings for energy efficiency.

We also particularly welcomed the new recommendation, suggested to B&NES by BPT, that the Council would look at developing pilot projects within their own extensive property estate, as well as working with Curo, in order to demonstrate what was possible in listed buildings to improve energy efficiency.

Caroline Kay, Chief Executive of BPT, said,

‘The publication by B&NES of this advice is the long awaited outcome of the work we started on ‘Warmer Bath’ in 2010.  There is a balance to be struck with older and listed properties, and we think this advice gets it about right while complying with legislation about the protection of the historic environment. It is important that households in fuel poverty and their landlords are able to make improvements, while recognising that for the more affluent the greatest carbon savings would probably be achieved by behavioural change such as turning down the thermostat or reducing car use. The commitment by B&NES to looking at pilot projects in their own properties is a great step forward and we hope to see some of these coming forward in the year ahead.