Mayor has questions to answer on investment in clean energy

Bristol’s Green Councillors say that the Mayor has tough questions to answer about the City Leap project, which was supposed to be delivering funding for clean energy across the City.

The project has spent £4.2 million and spent several years developing a procurement process to help Bristol develop clean energy and energy efficiency, but this procurement process has failed following the proposed sell-off of Bristol Energy. The procurement process now has to be started all over again. Greens feel that there are tough questions that the Mayor needs to answer before it is restarted.

“We must make sure that as well as responding to the current coronavirus crisis, we don’t sleepwalk into the looming climate crisis.”

Councillor Jerome Thomas said:

“We must make sure that as well as responding to the current coronavirus crisis, we don’t sleepwalk into the looming climate crisis. At this time of need across our city, it’s more important than ever that every penny the Council spends represents value for money.”

“Tax-payers have already seen over £30 million lost through Bristol energy under this administration. Work on procurement through City Leap has cost the city a further £4.2 million without yet seeing any tangible benefits. While of course we desperately need clean energy investment, we need to make sure the City Leap approach is going to deliver real infrastructure improvements, not just words and documents. We want to see lessons learnt from the secrecy and lack of responsiveness that contributed to Bristol Energy losing so much money.”

“This is why I will be asking the Mayor at today’s Cabinet meeting what the £4.2 million already spent on City Leap has achieved for the City, and why he now needs a further £2 million for a fresh procurement effort.”

“The City Leap procurement is supposed to be providing funding for Bristol’s clean energy sector, not becoming a black hole in the pocket of the tax-payer.”

“The City Leap procurement is supposed to be providing funding for Bristol’s clean energy sector, not becoming a black hole in the pocket of the tax-payer. It is very easy for the Mayor talk about attracting a billion pounds of energy investment for the city but I think it is reasonable for Bristol’s residents to know if they are likely to see any positive results from this procurement, and when.”

“We are in unprecedented times, but we believe that in Bristol we have the vision and imagination to create a future where every home is properly insulated and our energy generation is clean and green. Across Bristol there are world class businesses and social enterprises delivering energy efficiency and green energy generation projects. The Mayor needs to show the collaborative leadership to match that ambition and ability. Sadly so far his leadership on energy in Bristol has been a disastrous waste of money.”