Southwark’s housing director is right to question the viability of district heating. But don’t expect to see plant rooms being torn out of the ground any time soon.
It was surprising to hear David Quirke-Thornton speak so critically of the heating system at a council meeting last week. After all, district heating is at the heart of the council’s strategies for keeping residents warm and reaching zero carbon emissions.
This year, the council could spend more than £25 million on maintaining the system. It has previously said refurbishing the network to meet carbon footprint targets would cost a staggering £350 million. Surely this isn’t money being spent on a system that Southwark Council plans to bin?
In short, no, that doesn’t seem to be the case. When Quirke-Thornton said there were “existential questions” about the future of district heating, you got the sense he was thinking aloud. Ditching district heating is certainly not official council policy.
Nonetheless, it was refreshing to hear the housing director speak so candidly about the issue at hand. Quirke-Thornton doesn’t come from a housing background and perhaps that’s to his advantage.
Whereas previous housing directors have avoided discussing the overarching pitfalls of district heating, Quirke-Thornton has come to the position with fresh eyes and a perspective that looks into the long and short term.
It’s unrealistic to expect Southwark Council to move away from district heating any time soon. It would be too costly and, importantly, this isn’t a straightforward debate. District heating, for all its unreliability, can be highly efficient and benefits from economies of scale.
But eventually, Southwark Council will need to confront its shortcomings head-on. It’s good to see that conversation already happening.