Heating upgrade plan reviewed after cost fears

A plan to upgrade a leaking council-owned communal heating system in central London is being "thoroughly reviewed" after residents raised fears they could face bills of thousands of pounds.

The Pimlico District Heating Undertaking, believed to be the UK's oldest communal heating system, supplies about 3,200 homes in Westminster with heating and hot water.

Proposals to modernise the 70-year-old network - now prone to leaks and costly repairs - were drawn up by the previous Labour administration.

Cabinet member David Harvey said the Conservative council's starting point was "not how to preserve the existing system" but to "identify the most reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy source".

Last year, residents said they were worried they would face costly bills to fix the heating system.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands residents were shown costs which estimated that leaseholders of four-bedroom flats in some areas of the estates could be asked to pay more than £66,000.

The council at the time said the figures were estimates.

The council, won by the Conservatives in May's elections, said the review would look at residents' concerns, reassess work undertaken and focus on the needs of people's homes, blocks and estates.

Campaign group Pimlico Unites welcomed the review, but said the authority must commit to including residents in any consultations on the PDHU.

Hilary Golding, who represents the group, said: "Many residents felt excluded from the previous consultation process and their voices and concerns were not heard. To rebuild trust, council officers must involve residents from the start."

Harvey, cabinet member for housing and regeneration, said the council remained committed to leading the decommissioning of the PDHU.

He said the authority would consider a "wider range of options" including whether more local, block and estate-based approaches could "provide better outcomes".

The review's findings will be considered by a policy and scrutiny task group in the coming months.

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