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The smart and sustainable cities initiative is not the prerogative of the major metropolitan areas. The small municipality of Hastière in the province of Namur has recently provided proof of this with the complete renovation of its Tourist Office. This project was carried out thanks to the “smart cities and sustainable development” financing programme of Belfius and the European Investment Bank. The programme's priorities include energy efficiency and improving accessibility, particularly for those with reduced mobility.

The challenge that Hastière's municipal authorities was facing back in 2009 was to provide a modern and efficient facility to promote the region's tourist attractions, while reconciling the technical constraints of a 19th century building which, while full of character, undoubtedly needed to improve its energy efficiency.  The old presbytery, which has housed the Tourist Office since 2000, was no longer able to provide a welcome and the high-quality service that the municipality and the region expected of it. But above all this iconic building, which bears witness to the past and is typical of the local architecture, consumed enormous amounts of energy and therefore required substantial renovation.

Hoping to take advantage of this work to improve both the building's accessibility and its energy performance, the municipality of Hastière turned to the EIB and Belfius to obtain finance on favourable terms under the "smart cities and sustainable development" programme.

It soon became apparent during the appraisal process that the project was clearly based on a strategic, integrated and sustainable approach and was therefore a suitable candidate for this programme. The EIB and Belfius also considered that this project provided proof, if any were needed, that small municipalities too were eligible for the "smart cities" initiative.

More than 20 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided

The renovation work has enabled the building's energy performance to be improved significantly. Thus the installation of continuous insulation of the internal fabric of the building between the ground, the walls and the roof will now save the equivalent of no less than 7 000 litres of heating oil a year. Special attention was also paid to those areas where the different elements of a building (walls, ceiling, etc.) meet and to ventilation. Finally, the oil-fired heating system was replaced by a pellet boiler, which burns a fuel produced in Belgium and obtained from wood residues.

Overall, the renovation work will enable the Tourist Office to save more than 73 Mwh/year (an energy efficiency gain of around 64%) and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20 tonnes a year.

The cost of the work for the whole building amounted to EUR 477 782, with the municipality's share being EUR 228 563.87, of which EUR 156 800 was covered by a regional subsidy and the balance was self-financed by the municipality. The finance provided by Belfius and the EIB under the "smart cities and sustainable development" programme amounted to EUR 80 000. The favourable terms of the EU funding considerably reduced the interest charges on the loan, which benefits both the municipality's finances and its residents. It should also be noted that the renovation of the upper floors of the building was financed by Société de Logements de Service Public "la Dinantaise", with which the municipality of Hastière entered into a long-term lease and which converted part of the building into two public housing units.

Electric bicycles

This project, which is smart, inclusive and sustainable, is part of an initiative launched a few years ago with the work carried out on the road (rue Marcel Lespagne) that runs through the centre of the district to improve the quality of life and mobility and to renovate not only the Tourist Office but also the Cultural Centre and local jobcentre.

As one of the municipal authorities' objectives was to promote the use of environmentally-friendly modes of transport, a number of electrically assisted bicycles were made available to the Tourist Office to encourage even more tourists – and, why not, also the locals – to get on a bike and discover the region from a different perspective. The advantage of these e-bikes, which are as practical and easy to ride and handle as traditional bikes, is that a small battery-powered electric motor assists the rider's pedal power, particularly when going uphill or facing a headwind. These e-bikes can therefore help cyclists to undertake longer journeys without becoming exhausted. And all without any emissions of CO2, other pollutants or particulates. Which is therefore a win-win for nature and for health. 

The burgomaster of Hastière, Claude Bultot, was delighted that, with the budgetary difficulties facing the municipalities, this project was able to be financed thanks to the Belfius and EIB  "smart cities and sustainable development" programme. "We do not inherit the land of our ancestors, we have it on loan from our children. Clearly every project supported by the municipality of Hastière is therefore scrutinised to take account of how sustainable it will be and how it will affect the environment. With that in mind, the little, the very little that can be done, must be done."  

Belfius/EIB "Smart Cities and Sustainable Development” Programme

Recently awarded a prize by the British magazine World Finance, the "Smart Cities and Sustainable Development" financing programme is intended to make EUR 400 million available to local authorities in Belgium for the implementation of "smart and sustainable" projects in line with the "smart cities" approach, with a particular emphasis on mobility, urban development and/or energy efficiency.

The objective of this programme is to minimise borrowing costs for municipalities, CPAS (Public Social Action Centres) and inter-municipal utilities in order to support them in their innovative and sustainable approach. The EIB and Belfius are each providing half of the funds.

A year and a half after the launch, progress has been excellent. Several projects financed under this programme have already been completed or are currently under way, including the new town hall in Gembloux, the CNG plant for the inter-municipal waste management utility IMOG in Harelbeke, the renovation of the centre of Deinze and the development of La Croisette in Dinant. In addition, numerous other proposals are currently still under examination. The "smart cities" initiative is clearly gaining momentum in Belgium and, as can be seen from the example of Hastière, it is not limited to large metropolitan areas. Small municipalities can also sign up to this approach. 

Delighted with the success of the "Smart Cities and Sustainable Development" programme, EIB Vice-President Pim van Ballekom, remarked: "The 'Smart Cities and Sustainable Development' programme is a first for Belgium but also for Europe. It aims to provide a real impetus to the 'Smart Cities' initiative so that this approach can become the new standard for building the towns and cities of the future. 'Smart, inclusive and sustainable' projects such as those advocated by the EU's Europe 2020 strategy will be drivers of growth for these entities for the benefit of their citizens."

Dirk Gyselinck, member of Belfius Bank's Management Board, added: "Regardless of their size, towns have no other choice but to become smart in order to remain attractive. Even though there is no shortage of ideas, projects too often still come up against the problem of funding when it comes to putting these ideas into practice. It is precisely to facilitate the implementation of the numerous "smart" projects that are currently in the pipeline or at an embryonic stage all over the country that Belfius has developed the 'Smart Cities and Sustainable Development' programme with the EIB."

For further information about the European Investment Bank and its climate action approach: www.eib.org.

For further information about Belfius's 'Smart Cities' strategy: https://www.belfius.be/smartcities.