Local Area Retrofit Accelerator (LARA)
The Local Area Retrofit Accelerator (LARA) helps local areas plan and deliver the decarbonisation of homes.
LARA is a place-based approach to retrofit, bringing together stakeholders such as local authorities, landlords, supply chains, community organisations and investors to co-design a shared retrofit strategy tailored to their area.
Through a structured process of system mapping, stakeholder engagement and facilitated workshops, LARA enables the creation of clear, locally owned plans, aligning partners around a common vision and set of actions. It combines independent stewardship, technical expertise and targeted investment to help turn ambition into action.
The value of a place-based approach
Transforming how we heat, cool and power our homes requires coordinated action at a local level. Local areas understand their housing, communities and supply chains. But capacity is often constrained and delivery is often fragmented and under-resourced.
LARA addresses this gap by providing a systems-based, locally led model that aligns stakeholders, builds capacity and creates the conditions for investment and long-term progress.
Piloting the LARA approach
LARA has been piloted in four areas: East Midland Combined County Authority, Hertfordshire, Liverpool City Region, and Surrey.
Across these pilots, partners came together to develop co-designed retrofit strategies with strong local ownership. It has improved coordination, clarified priorities, put in place governance arrangements and strengthened the foundations needed for delivery.
The pilots showed that independent stewardship and dedicated coordination capacity are critical to success. It also highlights the scale of opportunity and impact: the areas involved represent nearly 6 million people – around 10% of the English population.
Retrofit strategies that reflect local needs and priorities have now been created for the East Midland Combined County, Hertfordshire and Surrey areas. Liverpool City Region are due to launch their strategy in the autumn of 2026. These strategies can provide valuable learnings and insights for other areas considering their own approach.
The MCS Foundation is providing funding and technical guidance to the four LARA pilot areas to support them as they move into the delivery stage of their strategies and implement initiatives.
Guidance and resources for local areas
LARA guidance documents
East Midlands Combined County Retrofit Strategy – Summary
East Midlands Combined County Retrofit Strategy
Hertfordshire Retrofit Strategy
More resources
