Gov’t solar row: CPRE North East says ‘Yes’ to renewables – but ‘No’ to ‘industrialisation’
THE North East chair of CPRE has said the countryside charity supports the UK’s renewable energy sectors – but not by “industrialising the countryside” beneath solar and wind farms.
Richard Cowen, chair of CPRE North East, was responding to the controversy caused by the Government’s seemingly ‘schizophrenic’ stance on renewables – and its reported opposition to solar farms.
On the one hand, Prime Minister Liz Truss has said she wants to roll out renewables as part of her economic growth agenda, but on the other, her Environment Secretary, Ranil Jayawardena, is reported to be planning to make it harder for solar farms to get planning approval on open farmland.
Reacting to this, the CPRE North East leader explained the charity’s twin-pronged position – but said he felt ruling against solar farms “on purely ideological grounds” seemed “strange”.
“CPRE supports the growth of renewables in the UK as a way of generating clean, green energy that will ultimately protect the countryside by combatting climate change,” he said.
“However, we also believe that simply industrialising the countryside by covering it with solar farms and wind farms is not the way forward.
“Offshore wind farms are already contributing significantly to the country’s energy resources, and we would encourage their development on a much greater scale.
“Similarly, while we are passionate about solar, we believe there should be a drive first to install solar on domestic, commercial and business properties, particularly new build, across the UK rather than seeing solar farms in the countryside as a first-choice option.”
The installation of rooftop solar is supported within the solar energy industry, even among solar farm operators here in the North East.
Mr Cowen continued: “While CPRE has opposed solar farms in the past, we do not believe a blanket ban on them would be necessary or helpful.
“Each application should be considered on a case-by-case basis and it may be that – if the land is not of high quality and there is no local opposition – a solar farm would be a suitable development, increasing the country’s clean energy and helping with climate goals.
“Local CPRE branches across the country have opposed applications for many solar farms, primarily when they have a significant detrimental effect on the landscape or amenity, or would take up productive agricultural land.
“But CPRE has also not objected to applications when it sees economic upsides outweighing any downsides and it would seem strange to rule them out on what might appear to be purely ideological grounds.”
Meanwhile, Chris Hewett, chief executive of the trade association Solar Energy UK, said: “The UK solar sector is alarmed by attempts to put major planning rules in the way of cheap, homegrown energy.
“Solar power is the answer to so many needs and policy demands: it will cut energy bills, deliver energy security, boost growth and help rural economies.
“Ranil Jayawardena’s opposition to solar farms must surely make him part of the anti-growth coalition.”
The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) also weighed in, with director of policy Frank Gordon, pointing out the competing demands for land use in the UK.
“There needs to be a more proactive and nuanced discussion around land use and planning in the UK in relation to Net Zero and renewables – it is clearly contradictory that fracking has constraints lifted while clean technologies are set to face new rules,” he said.
“We must also recognise the opportunities available from all renewables – this type of farmland could possibly be used to grow energy crops and bioenergy feedstocks and these need to be encouraged as well.”
Asked about the North East in particular, Mr Gordon told Climate Post: “Renewables can deliver jobs and growth across the country to every region.
“Despite having one of the smaller populations of the UK, the North East has a number of high-intensity clusters of renewable energy activity, especially around the Teesside and Port Blyth areas, where historically there have been large chemicals, refinery and power generation activity.”
