A Leicestershire charity could be kicked out of a building it has occupied for decades due to rules around energy efficiency and net zero.

Moira Replan, a charity that operates from Ashby Road in Moira, says it has only two months to raise £230,000 to buy the old Ashby Woulds Urban District Council offices from North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC).

It currently attracts more than 100 residents – elderly and young – each week and helps run a number of classes, drop-ins and community support, having originally been formed to help redundant miners and residents following industrial decline.

The charity has been unable to secure a lease with NWLDC for years due to energy efficiency rules brought in from 2023, which require rented buildings to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least E to be legally leasable.

Since April 2018, it has been unlawful to grant a new lease or renew an existing lease for an F or G-rated property; however, rules changed in April 2023, requiring buildings to meet a minimum E rating to be leasable.

The charity's chair told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they were "a few points short" of the regulations, despite spending thousands to make it compliant.

NWLDC served the charity with a Section 25 notice to end the tenancy in December 2024, before granting it a licence to occupy – effectively giving the charity less security and the possibility of being kicked out on short notice.

Since 2025, Moira Replan has been left in limbo and says they haven't been able to properly plan community events or secure adequate funding due to the current letting arrangement with the council.

Graham Knight, chair of Moira Replan trustees and who has spent 38 years helping establish the charity, said it has until July 14 to secure the thousands of pounds needed to buy the building off NWLDC, after it was served a notice to dispose of it in January 2026 – meaning it could put the building up for sale.

Mr Knight told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the building failed to meet the standard for leaseability, despite the charity offering NWDLC to help "get the building over the line" to meet the EPC standards.

He said: "We started doing all the interior works, so we put in more energy efficiency, a condensing boiler, we changed the lighting to LEDs, and people helped out financially and did loft insulation".

Mr Knight said the charity offered to pay for cavity wall insulation, which would have enabled the building to meet EPC standards – but he claims the council "ignored" it.

Moira Replan bosses also say that council officers were also considering a way to make the building exempt from EPC requirements before it was given a Section 25 notice, with the charity claiming there was "no update" or "communication".

He added: "We offered to pay to get it up to standard and they said 'Ah well, it'll probably change in a few years' time and we still won't be able to lease it to you'".

During a council meeting in 2024, Conservative housing boss Councillor Andrew Woodman admitted that it would be "very difficult" to get the building to meet regulations without major financial investment and that it was "not viable".

He also said it was "necessary to look forward to the energy efficiency levels required by 2030" and that NWLDC could not legally lease the building due to the efficiency rules.

It is understood that exclusions can be made to specific buildings that don't meet energy efficiency regulations; however, Moira Replan bosses have said there has been no update from the council regarding this.

The charity has since been on a licence to occupy, which is renewed every three months – a flexible arrangement between a landlord and tenant which is designed to be short-term but stops Moira Replan from undertaking any work itself.

However, charity bosses have said this has caused major issues around funding, which could have gone towards making the building more energy efficient, compared to if it were being leased where the charity would be able to make its own repair work.

Mr Knight said: "We could have applied for grants to further improve the building, double-glaze the windows, and do further insulation work".

He told the LDRS that council chiefs have been trying to move the charity to other council-owned properties, including those at Moira Furnace – but Mr Knight said it could cost the charity £6,000 a year.

NWLDC declared a climate emergency in 2019, setting out to "improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions" for its buildings and is aiming to be a net-zero council by 2030.

Moira Replan recently filed a formal complaint with NWLDC and is now racing to buy the building, as they believe it should be returned to the community and not sold off.

Mr Knight told the LDRS: "We're very disappointed in the council's attitude to local communities. They don't seem to want to give any help and just ignore everything we have put forward that is for the benefit of the community".

Moira Replan has set up a fundraiser to try and help secure the future of the building (https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/savemoirareplan).

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "As part of our mission to become a clean energy superpower we will help charities and businesses to access clean, affordable power and lower their bills for good.

"Non-domestic minimum energy efficiency standard rules have not changed since 2023, and exemptions are available where upgrades would not be cost-effective for tenants."

Paul Wheatley, head of economic regeneration at NWLDC, said: "The introduction in 2023 of new regulations relating to the energy efficiency of leased buildings meant that the council could no longer lease 17 Ashby Road to Moira Replan under the same arrangement that had been in place for many years.

"Due to this, the charity approached NWLDC about buying the building in 2023. The council agreed to investigate this option alongside Moira Replan.

"In the meantime, the council was able to extend the Moira Replan's occupation of the building under a licence arrangement, whilst also actively engaging with the charity to support it to seek suitable alternative accommodation.

"As 17 Ashby Road is listed as an Asset of Community Value, there are certain restrictions on how the building can be sold.

"In January 2026, the council formally invited Moira Replan to submit a bid within six months to buy the property. The deadline for this submission is 14 July 2026.

"We welcome a bid from Moira Replan and will carefully consider any issues raised by the charity as part of that decision making process."