A major new initiative—the North East Warm Homes Taskforce—was officially launched today (23 October) to address fuel poverty and improve housing quality across the North East through a region-wide retrofit strategy.
The Taskforce, chaired by North East CA Cabinet Member for Home to the Green Energy Revolution and Elected Mayor of North Tyneside Karen Clark, is convened for an initial 18-month term, bringing together a coalition of local authorities, third-sector organisations, and industry leaders.
At the launch Mayor Clark said: “Fuel poverty remains a significant challenge in the North East, with thousands of families struggling to affordably heat their homes. This often forces households to make impossible choices between heating and eating—impacting physical and mental health, and leaving children without a safe, warm environment to learn and grow.”
“The North East has a proud history of delivering national-scale fuel poverty programmes. This Taskforce will ensure the region leads the way once again—through innovation, collaboration, and delivery that truly benefits our communities.”
The Taskforce has been established to support the development and rollout of a comprehensive domestic retrofit strategy, focusing on improving poor-quality housing, particularly in the private rented sector. A key priority will be to explore and address the intersection between fuel poverty and child poverty, ensuring vulnerable families are not left behind.
Key Objectives of the Warm Homes Taskforce:
- Build a robust evidence base to inform policy and demonstrate measurable impact—reducing energy bills, improving health outcomes, and creating local green jobs.
- Design a deliverable, scalable strategy for retrofitting fuel-poor homes across the region.
- Engage key stakeholders and share best practices with government departments, particularly the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
- Support skills development and workforce planning to ensure the region can deliver retrofit at the scale and speed required.
The Taskforce will work in partnership with stakeholders across the region to maximise the benefits of enhanced devolved powers and new funding streams, ensuring programmes are locally informed and tailored to regional needs. Its final report will shape a long-term strategy and action plan for warm, energy-efficient homes throughout the North East.
For more information contact sam.daniell@northeast-ca.gov.uk