Mike Parker, Chairman of SeSaME, writes…
HAVE you read Wychavon District Council’s Intelligently Green Plan for 2020 -2030? If the first paragraph doesn’t make you sit up and take notice, it should. It reads. “Tackling climate change is the most important issue facing humanity, requiring action on a global, national, local and personal level.”
That’s us, councillors, parliamentarians, the rest of the world, with working in partnership a key element for success.
The Intelligently Green Plan is a welcome and ambitious document. It’s conclusion about some issues at the moment they have no power to change is also realistic. National planning accepting new builds with LPG or Oil boilers, currently makes a mockery of national demands for low carbon retrofitting of older properties. The plan’s targets of reducing energy consumption at the council’s own properties, creating energy on properties where possible, whilst pursuing district power generation schemes, like hydroelectric power, are more logical.
The group of actions outlined under “Action on Energy” are of particular interest to rural communities like mine, faced with replacing their LPG & Oil boilers over the next decade – at the last count about 200 and current planning laws meaning more.
Over the past decade SeSaME has only managed to use available funding and grant support periods to successfully help residents retrofit about 10 per cent of properties. That’s been down to Wychavon support and tapping into occasional national grants over the decade.
the excellent Intelligently Green energy plans, as outlined below, deserve vigorous local pursuit with practical support of a Wychavon “2020/2030 Retro-fit Housing Task Group,” with leaders available as a regular source of knowledge, local funding and seeker of consistent central funding.
They seek to work with Social Housing delivering carbon neutral housing schemes; promote energy efficiency awareness campaigns with residents; facilitate material bulk buying schemes; work with partners helping householders install energy efficiency measures and renewable technology through initiatives such as the new Green Homes Grant, sadly time limited.
Plus investing in growing the low carbon economy; increasing Low Carbon Opportunities Programme investment; give apprenticeship grants for green technology businesses and provide thermal image surveys. Now that’s a great read.
