A MASS “retrofit” is planned for tens of thousands of council houses and flats to make them greener and cleaner.

If a new set of proposals is approved today, the Greater Brighton Economic Board will set up a £300,000 Retrofit Task Force.

But the task force will make use of “planned works” to tap into a £1 billion housing repairs and maintenance budget as a way of keeping down costs.

Retrofitting involves putting in new technology – notably power, heating and plumbing – to existing buildings.

The scheme is part of a wider set of policies aimed at a “carbon-neutral” future.

A report to the Greater Brighton Economic Board said: “The task force has three main objectives – one immediate challenge and two longer-term objectives.

"Outline how public sector home and building improvements can take place on a mass scale across the region, while identifying opportunities to boost new skills, create good jobs and drive investment in low-carbon industries

"Identify and promote long-term changes to energy usage, increase private sector engagement with the whole-life cycle decarbonisation agenda and future-proofing our private and public buildings within the region.

These goals are designed to meet Greater Brighton’s carbon reduction targets by 2030 and to support a sustainable economic recovery from the pandemic by creating the conditions and supply chain to support the wider decarbonisation agenda.”

Brighton University would lead the task force, with Lewes District Council overseeing the work.

The project would cover about 28,000 council homes across the city region, including more than 11,000 in Brighton and Hove.

The Greater Brighton region includes Adur, Worthing, Arun, Lewes, Mid Sussex and Crawley councils – although Worthing no longer has any council housing.

Two other councils – Eastbourne and Wealden – could be invited to join the retrofitting drive, taking the potential number of homes up to 35,000.

The proposals are due to go before the Greater Brighton Economic Board at a virtual meeting which is scheduled to start at 10am today.