Delivered by Council Leader, Cllr Ashley Baxter, to a meeting of the Council: Thursday 26th September 2024.
I want to start by acknowledging and thanking Cllr David Bellamy for his diligence in raising the ethical concerns surrounding the sourcing of solar panels for the Grantham Meres Leisure Centre.
His work liaising with local MPs and ensuring that our values align with our actions has been essential in bringing these issues to light. Thanks to Cllr Bellamy’s efforts, we have made positive changes to the Grantham Meres Solar Installation procurement.
For the benefit of those watching the live stream, as part of our ongoing programme of investment in our leisure centres and our commitment to reduce energy usage across these sites, this administration was successful in bids for two grants:
- The Sport England Swimming Pool Support Fund—Phase II Capital Projects (£445,725) will fund pool covers at Grantham Meres and the installation of PV panels, a significant step towards our energy efficiency goals. The scope of this grant was narrow, applying only to insulation measures (i.e. pool covers) and solar schemes.
- The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme award (£3,587,000) funds designing and installing an Air-Source Heat Pump System to replace the gas-powered combined heat and power units, which are at the end of their operational life.
The Grant applications complemented each other and were funded in priority order. The solar panels offset the higher electricity demands of an ASHP system while insulating the facility from fluctuating energy prices.
This council awarded Leisure Energy Ltd the contract for these works. They then subcontracted to GeoGreenUK for the installation, who independently sourced panels from Canadian Solar.
Cllr Bellamy's intervention alerted us to the full scope of the allegations regarding Canadian Solar’s supply chain.
In response, our officers worked to find an alternative supplier that still met the project’s deadlines and funding conditions. I also met with Alicia Kearns MP on 19th September to discuss the project in more detail.
This Administration listens. We have taken the concerns on board and were in a position to make suggestions for alternative suppliers.
We acknowledge the ongoing ethical concerns around Canadian Solar, and in line with further input from Mrs Kearns, we have successfully directed GeoGreenUK to switch panel suppliers to JA Solar.
Members will shortly receive an FAQ and supporting documents containing further details on this situation and our new supplier.
In short, JA Solar is considered a more transparent supplier, and is a signatory to the UN Global Compact.
They have implemented a traceability system for every panel they manufacture, enabling traceability at every production stage.
The collegiate contributions from stakeholders at each stage of this process have ensured the project will remain on schedule, with the installation completed by the March 2025 funding deadline.
This solar panel project will significantly reduce SKDCs carbon footprint and deliver long-term cost savings. It is part of a broader effort to revitalise a facility that had been neglected under previous administrations.
The new panels will reduce energy costs, contributing to much-needed financial relief and enhance the centre’s infrastructure without jeopardising future sustainability.
As we progress, this Administration remains committed to reviewing our procurement processes to ensure that ethical considerations are at the forefront of future decisions, especially once the Procurement Act 2023 comes into force.
We take our ethical responsibilities seriously and are pleased to see Members of all parties and none coming together to develop a responsible procurement policy.
The cabinet will reach out shortly to develop a comprehensive motion to bring about such a policy.