Countryside charity calls on Sunderland and Durham MPs to support rooftop solar legislation
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The Durham branch of the charity, (formerly the Campaign to Protect Rural England), has also written to MPs from South Tyneside and Gateshead, which fall within the old County Durham boundaries, asking for them to support the so-called ‘Sunshine Bill’
The Private Members Bill introduced by Gloucester MP Max Wilkinson and officially titled ‘New Homes (Solar Generation)’ will be debated in the House of Commons this Friday but needs at least 100 MPs in the Chamber if has any chance of progressing to the next stage.
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Hide AdIf it were to pass into law, it would mark the start of an era when new houses automatically came fitted with solar panels, slashing homeowners' energy bills long-term and accelerating the drive towards ending the use of climate-heating fossil fuels.
For CPRE Durham, this legislation would not only be a major step forward but a boost to the charity’s national Rooftop Solar campaign.
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The Durham branch's Richard Cowen, a former chair of CPRE North East, who sent out the letters, said: “This is potentially such an important moment in terms of the direction of travel when it comes to domestic solar.
“CPRE is running a national Rooftop Solar campaign which seeks to give businesses and individuals energy independence at the same time as reducing the need for solar farms in the countryside.”
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Hide AdThe Government has accused opponents of solar farms in the countryside of being ‘blockers’ and ‘NIMBY but CPRE Durham is pointing out that over-industrialising the countryside risks antagonising people in rural areas and that rooftop solar could defuse many of those concerns.
In the letter to the Wear MPs, CPRE Durham emphasises: “CPRE does not oppose all solar farms in the countryside - we passionately support efforts to generate clean energy and recognise the existential threat to the countryside posed by the climate crisis.
“However, our research shows well over half the solar panels needed to hit near-term national net zero targets could be fitted on rooftops and in car parks.
“Installing solar panels on existing buildings and car parks would enjoy near-universal public support and help minimise objections to the large solar farms in the countryside that might need to be built.”
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Hide AdLonger-term, CPRE believes that a switch to empahsising rooftop solar and brownfield solar would negate the need for many of the solar farms currently being looked at by developers.
And the Durham campaigners believe Max Wilkinson’s Sunshine Bill could be pivotal in unlocking the power of domestic rooftop solar and helping set the direction of travel for the UK on the road to achieving its clean power targets.
CPRE Durham has written to Durham MPs Luke Akehurst (North Durham), Mary Foy (City of Durham), Sam Rushworth (Bishop Auckland), Grahame Morris (Easington), Alan Strickland, (Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor), Matt Vickers, (Stockton West) and to Sunderland and Washington MPs Sharon Hodgson, Bridget Phillipson and Lewis Atkinson
It is not known what stance those MPs, or the other MPs written to - Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett), Lola McEvoy (Darlington), Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool), Kate Osborne, (Jarrow), Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) - will take on the draft legislation.
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Hide AdBut with surveys showing the majority of the public supporting green transition policies, CPRE Durham hopes the region’s politicians will play their part in helping drive forward a historic policy change in decarbonising housing on Friday.
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