Decision details

To approve a loan, repayable over four years,  under the Cheltenham Green Deal Scheme

To provide a repayable loan to Cheltenham Town Football Club Ltd under the ‘Cheltenham Green Deal’ in the sum of £40,000, for the installation a large solar array at the Whaddon Road football ground.Loan to be subject to interest at 3.5% and repaid in annual instalments over 4 years. Funding to be sourced from the existing climate change capital budget.

1. The CTFC Football stadium is located at Whaddon Road and the freehold interest in the ground, which is leased, belongs to Cheltenham Borough Council.

2. The CTFC board membership includes expertise in green energy, green generation and battery storage and would like to work closely with the council to develop projects and promote initiatives to help deliver ‘project zero’ and beyond. It would be useful to work together to develop future initiatives and utilise their knowledge and skills in this arena.

3. The proposed solar array would be the largest such renewable energy installation in the town and act as an exemplar to encourage other businesses to act in reducing their carbon footprint. This is in line with the council’s aspiration to support a net zero borough by 2030.

4. The funding provided will be repayable over 4 years and can then be recycled to support other carbon reducing initiatives in the borough.

Decline to fund – rejected as this would not be supportive of the council’s commitment to support a net zero borough by 2030 and this scheme offers the opportunity both to promote the climate agenda and provide an example of best practice to other businesses, including in particular, those which have already signed up to the CheltZero initiative which CBC is promoting in conjunction with Vision 21.

Green Deal scheme criteria and process has been applied.  A discussion paper was sent to

Leadership Team 24-05-23, and the funding application was recommended for approval by the Green Investment Board on 7^th June, 2023.

Climate Team - in support

Leadership Team – in support

Section 151 officer - sign-off received

Green Investment Board – unanimously in support – caveats being addressed in relation to landlord’s consent, specification of work, CTFC credit check, planning consent, Subsidy Act 2022 sign-off

Leadership Team, Green Investment Board, Section 151 Officer, One Legal, Finance, Property