Press Release: National Retrofit Hub publishes practical guidance to support place-based retrofit delivery across the UK
The National Retrofit Hub (NRH) has published a new guidance document, Place-Based Retrofit in Practice: Guidance for Developing a Place-Based Retrofit Strategy, offering practical support for people delivering retrofit at a local level.
Developed in collaboration with the UK Green Building Council and the Energy Demand Research Centre, with funding from The MCS Foundation, the resource responds to a growing need for clearer, more grounded approaches to place-based delivery.
National policy, including the Warm Homes Plan, Pride in Place Strategy and wider devolution agenda, is placing greater emphasis on local leadership. Yet while place-based retrofit is widely referenced, there is still limited shared understanding of what it involves in practice.
This creates a risk that programmes are labelled as place-based without delivering meaningful outcomes. At the same time, many local authorities, community organisations and delivery partners are already demonstrating what strong place-based approaches can look like, often without clear support or routes to scale.
This guidance follows the publication of the project’s first resource: Understanding Place Based Retrofit, which sets out a shared understanding and builds consensus on principles for, and outcomes that can be delivered by, place-based approaches.
A practical guide for local delivery
The guidance is designed for those working on the ground, including local authorities, housing associations, community organisations and retrofit facilitation providers. It brings together real examples and practical steps to support the development of place-based strategies.
Drawing on case studies, research and engagement across the NRH network, the document sets out:
How place-based retrofit is being delivered in practice
The role of partnerships and local insight
Steps to develop a place-based strategy
Approaches to engaging communities and supply chains
Considerations around delivery and finance
Rather than presenting a single model, the guidance reflects the diversity of local contexts across the
UK. It recognises that effective retrofit depends on collaboration between multiple actors, not a single
organisation acting alone.
Rachael Owens, Co-Director at the National Retrofit Hub, said:
“Place-based retrofit is often talked about as a solution, but many organisations are still working out what it means in practice and how to apply it in their own area. This guidance brings together the experience of those already doing this work, alongside practical steps to support others to get started or build on what they are doing. We hope that this tool can be used collaboratively by organisations and individuals coming together to design and delivery retrofit strategies for their place. If retrofit is going to deliver long term value, it needs to reflect the realities of different places and involve the people and organisations who understand them best. This guide aims to help you do just that.”
Bridging the gap between ambition and delivery
The guidance responds to findings from the National Retrofit Hub’s State of the Nation review, which highlighted that retrofit is not being delivered at the scale or quality required to meet national targets. It also identified low levels of citizen engagement and missed opportunities to deliver wider benefits such as health, resilience and local economic value.
The guidance emphasises the importance of understanding retrofit as part of a wider system, including residents, supply chains and local context. It also highlights the limitations of approaches focused only on short term outputs such as EPC ratings or carbon savings.
Supporting the next phase of delivery
As responsibility continues to shift towards local actors, there is increasing demand for practical tools to support strategy and coordination. This resource is intended to support that transition, helping organisations move from isolated projects to more joined up, place-based programmes. The guidance forms part of a wider programme of work exploring how place-based approaches can be developed and scaled across the UK.
To support the launch, the National Retrofit Hub will host a webinar on 5 May 2026 titled What does Place-Based Retrofit Look Like in Practice? The session will introduce the guidance and include contributions from organisations involved in case studies featured within the document.
Access the guidance:
Place-Based Retrofit in Practice: Guidance for Developing a Place-Based Retrofit Strategy