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Solihull councillors are pushing for a biomass energy heating system used to heat tower blocks to remain and be improved despite calls from some residents for it to be scrapped. Biomass heating sees wood pellets, sourced from abroad, burned in a boiler at plant rooms to produce heating and hot water in each flat. Solihull Community Housing (SCH), which manages Solihull Council owned homes, carried out a major project to introduce biomass heating to flats in high rise social housing buildings over the past decade highlighting its environmental benefits. READ MORE: Chelmsley Wood flat closure after residents anti-social behaviour complaints For more stories from across Solihull including BHX, breaking news, politics and what's on, sign up to our MySolihull newsletter But the system came under spotlight earlier this year as tenants pleaded for it to be scrapped in their flats. As the LDRS reported in February Josh Kearns, who lives in a block in Smith’s Wood, said he only switched his heating on when his disabled son visited. “It is that extortionate, it is driving tenants into financial insecurity and energy poverty,” he told councillors. Bosses said building management system (BMS) upgrades have now improved control over the three energy centres in eight blocks and delivered improved network efficiency. “This is expected to reduce running costs and improve reliability of heat supply for residents,” an officers report said. “The remaining 10 plant rooms require imminent replacement due to the risk of system failure.” After 18 months of criticism SCH carried out a review with four options emerging: At the last economic development, managed growth and skills scrutiny board on November 4 councillors spent 90 minutes on the topic. It emerged during the debate councillors were not in favour of scrapping the system entirely. Councillor Max McLoughlin said: “The reason is because of the capital cost, the amount of disruption. “It’s ultimately prohibitive and it closes off any other option – you are locked in.” Councillor Andrew Burrow then said: “My understanding, some of the plant rooms are pretty much finished.” Officer Darren Baggs, the authority’s executive director of operations, replied: “The biomass boilers are in a poor state of repair. “They have got an estimated life of a further seven to eight years.” Chairman of the committee Councillor Sally Tomlinson said: “The million dollar question I’m sure we have all got in our heads, is there anything that can be done to give the residents support on the tariff in the current year?“ The officer replied: “We will continue to advocate for the household support fund and for customers facing financial hardship to go down that route. “A lot of people applied for it before but it wasn’t taken up as much as I thought it would. “The single thing we can do, if the investment in the BMS is supported, we can get that delivered sooner. “It’s the single most beneficial thing we can do to reduce the price of the tariff in 2026.” The board voted unanimously to recommend an “accelerated investment programme” to upgrade the remaining BMS systems. It is estimated the cost of these works is approximately £760,000, with potential for partial grant funding through the government’s heat network efficiency scheme. A bid earlier this year was successful and SCH submitted a further funding application in September. Councillors also voted in favour of setting up a task group which will explore the remaining three options. The recommendations now go to cabinet’s December meeting.
