Resource Type: Webinar replay

How can locally generated renewable energy deliver greater benefits for Welsh communities? In this webinar, Grant Peisley and James Dunbar explore practical approaches to local electricity supply and how they can help reduce energy costs, improve returns for generators and retain economic value locally.

Overview

The session covers three supply models: behind-the-meter systems, private wire arrangements and licence-exempt supply. Through practical examples, including Cardiff Council’s Lamby Way solar farm, it explores the opportunities and considerations for each approach, how to choose a model suited to your project, and the support available through Ynni Cymru, a Welsh Government programme delivered by Local Partnerships.

Local government reorganisation represents a significant change for workforces, stakeholders and residents. For senior leaders in authorities going through LGR, it is important to reflect on leadership practice and consider how best to lead through change.
In this webinar, we heard from Rushcliffe Borough Council, who worked with Local Partnerships to reflect on their change leadership as part of preparing for LGR.

This on-demand webinar explores how to establish and deliver an effective LGR PMO.

Covering stakeholder buy-in, flexible resourcing, practical delivery considerations, and planning beyond day one, the session also introduces our new LGR PMO toolkit and supporting resources.

Delivered by CHoSS in partnership with Local Partnerships, this webinar explored the role of Housing Revenue Accounts (HRAs) in supporting sustainable council housebuilding, particularly in the context of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). It covered key considerations for councils reviewing or restructuring HRAs, including governance, financial modelling, and delivery approaches.

The session examined transitions from predecessor to successor authorities, strengthening business planning, ensuring compliance with statutory and prudential frameworks, and aligning HRA strategy with wider housing ambitions. It was aimed at senior officers, finance and housing leads, and councillors involved in HRA management and structural change.

Led by Local Partnerships, the ‘viability and pipeline’ webinar focused on how councils can build stronger programme confidence by:

• Understanding the key drivers that influence viability
• Identifying why schemes stall and how to unblock them
• Prioritising sites and managing pipeline sequencing
• Strengthening programme-level risk management and decision-making

This session also highlighted how councils can access further support through CHoSS to explore viability challenges in more depth.

Replay –  NISTA and Local Partnerships host a practical free webinar ‘Decarbonising PFI projects: Tools and templates for councils’ introducing new tools to help public bodies decarbonise operational PFI projects.

UPDATED – Housing Delivery Vehicles Toolkit March 2026

It is estimated there are more than 200 councils in the UK who have already established housing delivery vehicles. With housing issues arguably more at the forefront of local government thinking than for a generation, many councils – whether they have established them or not – are reviewing their activities in this area.

Housing Delivery Vehicle Toolkit

In response to this clear need from the sector, we have relaunched an updated version of our Housing Delivery Vehicle Toolkit. It is free to download.

We also ran a webinar about ‘The future of housing delivery vehicles’ webinar. Our team of experts discussed on the following; considerations in establishing delivery vehicles, how to review progress and the experience so far: lessons learned and good practice. Please find the replay below as well.

Rising costs, competing capital pressures and evolving funding rules mean that financial strategy is now central to council-led housebuilding.

The ‘CHoSS: Funding and finance for council housebuilding’ explored the sources of finance and funding available to councils and, crucially, how to make a clear and credible internal case for investment in housing delivery.

The discussion covered:

• The key financial and funding considerations influencing council housebuilding

• Approaches to structuring and planning investment to support delivery

• Building organisational confidence around housing investment decisions

• Aligning financial strategy with long-term housing ambition

Ynni Cymru (a Welsh Government programme) hosted a webinar to provide an overview of its proposed capital grant scheme for Smart Local Energy System (SLES) projects.

The scheme is intended to support organisations in Wales, including the public sector, voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

SLES projects are expected to combine renewable energy generation technologies with data and control systems and energy storage to support energy needs such as operational power, heating or transport.

This webinar recording provides an overview of the proposed scheme, including key information on eligibility and the anticipated application process.

Drop in sessions

Our Ynni Cymru grant drop-in sessions are informal online meetings where applicants can join to ask questions about the fund and the application process. Ynni Cymru colleagues will be available for an hour to provide guidance, clarify eligibility or application requirements, and help you better understand what the grant can support.

• 12 May 12-1pm
• 19 May 1-2pm

Discover the LGR Toolkit designed to support councils through reorganisation.

This collaborative session with the LGA provided a walkthrough of key tools and how to apply them in your context.

This session built on Session 2, once councils had time to use the templates. We looked at data gathering from a PMO perspective, discussed common challenges that had emerged across councils and explored ways of building a shared data picture before decisions were announced.

Speakers

Joran Mendel, Senior Director, Local Partnerships

Lily Von Geyer, Data Analyst, Local Partnerships

LGR data webinar

Data is the backbone of successful reorganisation.

This session focuses on gathering data once and gathering it well. We shared Local Partnerships’ templates for information requests, explain what “good enough” looks like and highlight common pitfalls to avoid during change.

Councils are under growing pressure to deliver more homes, often with limited capacity. This free webinar explores how the Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS) can help councils build capability and confidence to deliver council homes now and in the future.

Delivered by Local Partnerships LLP and the Local Government Association’s Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS), the session covers:

• The support available through CHoSS

• Key challenges councils are currently facing

• Real examples of CHoSS support in action

• How the CHoSS self-assessment helps unlock the right support

Speakers:

• Debbie Ward, Local Government Association

• Martin Walker, Local Partnerships LLP

• Vicky McDermott, Director of Housing and Communities, Newcastle City Council

The Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS), funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Government’s ambition to build 1.5 million homes, is being delivered by the Local Government Association and Local Partnerships.

Councils going through LGR need to work together on data now, even when the future structure isn’t clear. This webinar explains how to take “no regrets” actions such as building a shared view of data. It features a unique perspective from the frontline as we are joined by Pedro Wrobel, Chief Executive of Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council.

Speakers

• Pedro Wrobel, Chief Executive, Guildford Borough Council & Waverley Borough Council
• Simon Bandy, Senior Strategy Director, Local Partnerships