THE Labour group on Warrington Borough Council is urging the ruling Lib Dem-Conservative coalition to think again about its controversial proposal for a £10 million solar farm.
Instead, Labour believe the council should be looking at schemes to install solar heating in individual houses – saving more than £100 a year in energy costs for the household.
Warrington-Worldwide broke the story of the solar farm plan last week.
There was an immediate uproar among opponents of the scheme, who pointed out that it was the wrong time for the council to be thinking of borrowing £10 million.
Originally, the solar farm project was part of national initiative launched by the previous Labour government.
But Labour says there is now concern that the coalition government may divert money intended to help residential homes, community groups and small businesses generate their own green electricity to risky large commercial schemes.
They also fear the volatility of energy prices may mean that many proposed schemes are no longer be viable.
Labour’s spokesman for planning, regeneration and housing, Cllr David Keane,(pictured) said: “This is not the time to be thinking about borrowing £10 million for a risky solar farm when so many of Warrington’s pensioners are suffering fuel poverty due to the coalition’s VAT hike and ever rising gas and electricity bills.
!Instead I urge the council to look at alternative, self-financing schemes that directly benefit local households.
“For example the installation of a solar panel for an average home could save well over £100 each year in energy costs. Working in partnership with just one identified housing provider in the town could save tenants over £120,000 in energy costs and offer a reduction of over 900 tonnes of carbon each year.
“Labour’s vision for green energy production in the town is one where there is little risk to public finances, no detriment to local residents who may live near to a potential solar farm site, but achieves our social objectives of carbon reduction while helping to lift our most vulnerable residents out of fuel poverty.”
Cllr Keane said the Warm Front scheme, where residents got grants to improve energy efficiency in their homes, had been suspended by the government and although it could resume after April, its annual budget of £345 million had been slashed to £110 million.
“I fear thousands of vulnerable households will be stuck with un-necessarily high fuel bills,” he added.
Think again about solar farm – Labour
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
8 Comments
Worth noting, as it isa little misleading in the article that the VAT on domestic fuel has not been increased and remains at 5%.
With regards to the solar farm, as I understand it there in Warrington, Labour are assuming that they will be running the Council from May, therefore they can just scrap the plan to build a solar farm if they take over, can’t they.
Lookingfromafar… look more closely 🙂 I read the article to mean that the VAT increase means that our overall household expenditure is going up not necessarily that VAT was driving fuel bills up. I think the word “and” in the sentence “many of Warrington’s pensioners are suffering fuel poverty due to the coalition’s VAT hike AND ever rising gas and electricity bills”. As regards to Labour assuming they will run the council and can then scrap it the scheme… maybe they aren’t taking it for granted that Warrington’s electorate have had enough with the LibDems spending money on iPads, expensive consultants and gimmicky solar farms (paid for by £10million debt which we the taxpayer will have to repay!)…. I think that’s why they are urging the scheme to be scrapped. The national polls suggest that although the LibDems are deeply unpopular for they have gone back on their election pledges, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Conservatives actually picked a few seats and we still have a coalition running the Town Hall. At least shareholders in Apple Inc. will be happy…no doubt they’ll order yet more iPads
Thanks I did the first time round, and as I said “it is a little misleading”, which it is.
The ipad thing will save money – we all fail to see the bigger picture – If Labour run the council as they think they will it will be a very sorry day for the Town. They reintroduce the beer after meetings, the holidays they went on and wreck the town again.
i suggest that siiting on the fence does their research properly.
at no time has anyone ever said that the scheme would give a £10m debt that us tax payers will have to repay… it was always shown as a scheme which would generate income for Warrington and reduce our tax bils!
and yes the VAT comment is misleading
Ipad = £600. Saving in print cost per year = £350 = repaid in less than two years… without the other efficiencies associated……
Dinosaurs didn’t survive because they didn’t adapt! let’s all join the 21st Century!
Thats the problem with Lookingfromafar
ipods – I hear the Trade Union use them now in meetings – at least they are moving with the times unlike Cllr Patel and Labour. Just think it was the subs of staff at WBC that have paid for the unions ipods. They do like them because they have said they are efficient and reduce cost’s. Well done GMB and the others for thinking outside the box unlike the DINOSAURS of the Labour Group.