Boss of funding-hit firm meets ministers (From This Is Wiltshire)

THE managing director of a family-run insulation company is to voice his fears for the crisis-hit industry in the Houses of Parliament.

John Hennessy is having to lay off almost half of Warm Space’s 100 employees and wants urgent action to address a lack of transition plans between two Government funding schemes intended to make homes compatible with carbon emissions targets.

Insulation companies had been funded through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target but this initiative stopped suddenly on January 10.

Another Government scheme, the Green Deal, only took effect two months late last week.

Mr Hennessy said Warm Space had received the CERT funding through the energy companies, which decided they no longer wanted to continue with the scheme.

The Insulation Industry Forum says the gap has led to 4,000 job losses, with another 1,350 people on notice.

Mr Hennessy said: “The Government needs to be aware of the devastating impact the lack of transition plans between CERT and the Green Deal has had on the industry.

“It has decimated an industry which was otherwise running well.

“As well as the job losses there will be 84,000 homes which will not have insulation work carried out as a result of the funding being pulled.

“One minute we were flying, the next we were on our knees.”

Warm Space, in Rushey Platt, was among firms nationally which provided insulation to homes in order for the energy industry to meet carbon emissions targets set by the Ofgem regulator.

The company has had some good news as it has gained PAS 2030 accreditation, which will broaden the type of work it can do, but it is currently consulting with staff on the redundancies.

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland is arranging for Mr Hennessy, who runs Warm Space with his wife Julie, to meet the Department Of Energy And Climate Change.

Mr Buckland said: “I have met he Energy Minister and arrangements are now being made for a meeting between Warm Space and officials at the Department For Energy And Climate Change as soon as possible.”