Haringey Council approves 40-year heat supply deal for Selby Urban Village

Haringey Council has approved a 40-year agreement for the supply of heat to the new Selby Urban Village development, authorising direct negotiations with district heat network provider Energetik.

The decision, made by Councillor Ruth Gordon, Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Local Economy, will cover the connection, supply, and potential management and maintenance of heat for the scheme. This aligns with the project's sustainability goals and planning policies from both Haringey and Enfield Councils, as well as the London Plan, which mandate connection to a District Energy Network.

These policies, including the GLA's London Plan, show a clear preference for connecting to existing heat networks such as Energetik where viable. Both Haringey and Enfield's planning policies have similar requirements for new developments to be heated via such networks.¹

Councillor Gordon approved the commencement of a mixed procurement strategy, allowing for direct talks with Energetik. This approach is permitted under the Procurement Act 2023, which exempts certain utility contracts from standard competitive processes when the market is open and the authority is not acting as a central purchasing body. This is intended to ensure the timely completion of procurement, coinciding with the onboarding of the main works contractor for Selby Urban Village in early 2026.

While Energetik is the preferred supplier, the council is exploring alternative options as a contingency. To mitigate the risk of a non-connection to the district heat network, the council is fully understanding alternative options as a fallback. While other similar suppliers and operational systems exist in London, such as in Stratford and Brent, the capital costs and feasibility of running pipework the required distances to the Selby Urban Village site render them unviable.

Energetik, owned by Enfield Council, is expanding its network with plans to significantly reduce its reliance on gas boilers by incorporating low-carbon heat from an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). It is expected that 90% of gas use will be replaced by extremely low carbon heat from the ERF once this facility is complete, although the exact completion date is not yet known.

The Selby Urban Village development, situated across both Haringey and Enfield, will provide new council homes and community facilities. The proposed agreements include connection charges, supply agreements for heating and hot water to community facilities and new homes, and a service agreement for the management and maintenance of the heat network for the new homes, all spanning 40 years. This decision supports the Council's Corporate Delivery Plan 2024-2026, contributing to the creation of sustainable homes and the objective of achieving zero carbon and climate resilience.