Julia Hilton, spokesperson for Hastings Greens.
Solar panels in Hastings Country Park – ecology or politics?
Hastings Borough Council (HBC), with its majority of Labour councillors, has proposed to put two arrays of solar panels in the Country Park and one at Upper Wilting Farm in Crowhurst. Amber Rudd, Hastings and Rye Conservative MP, has launched a petition against this. HOT’s Chandra Masoliver asks Julia Hilton, spokesperson for Hastings Green Party, for her thoughts on the ecological and political issues involved.
CM: Are you in favour of installing solar panels?
JH: Yes, particularly for rooftop solar. To encourage solar power development there has been a domestic rooftop feed-in tariff subsidy, allowing money back for every skilowatt generated. The roof owner has the benefit of free energy and the rest goes into the grid. Currently the tariffs give three financial benefits:
- A payment for all the electricity you produce, even if you use it yourself.
- Additional bonus payments for electricity you export into the grid.
- A reduction on your standard electricity bill, from using energy you produce yourself.
For example, Ore College will save roughly £4,250 on its annual energy bills once the photovoltaic panels are installed. Previously the return was noteworthy, now it is only four pence per kilowatt, and unfortunately this is going to be stopped altogether this March.
However there is still some hope for us here, in that Energise Sussex Coast (ESC), because they are a Community Benefit Society, have another year in which to install rooftop solar and still receive a subsidy, as long as the roof is pre-registered before 29 March. This is a relatively simple procedure. Joint working with the Council and access to their low interest finance could allow many more rooftop schemes to be installed.
The Council own many buildings but just don’t have the capacity to do any more installations before this March. Joint working with ESC would give us another year to get many more solar roofs across the town, on community buildings, the hospital and many more industrial estates.
Currently people can invest in community shares and become a member of Brighton Energy Coop, who are installing the rooftop solar panels on Ore College. Similar coops could be set up in Hastings.
We will be seeing a lot more solar panels, but the sites to use are along our motorways and roads like the link road, along parts of railway lines, on brownfield sites, etc. The schemes in West Sussex referred to in the Council report have used an old airfield and a landfill site. Solar energy will become less expensive and increasingly efficient.
What do you think of HBC’s chosen site in the Country Park, and should they be more consultative as to suitable sites?
JH: I have reservations about any solar panels in the Country Park. The Council has tried to select the least contentious site, and it’s great that HBC is looking into local renewable energy. However it is politically inept to consider using such a well-loved site as it may alienate a lot of people from the very necessary discussion on how we fight climate breakdown. There should have been a town-wide open discussion around the ways forward for Hastings to develop a low-carbon future.
At the very least there needs to be consultation with Natural England, who are statutory consultees on any development in the Country Park. I am surprised this hadn’t happened before seeking to spend money on feasibility studies. I was glad to hear Peter Chowney ask for this consultation to take place before any further money is spent.
We, the Green Party, have been asking Hastings to declare a climate emergency. Regarding the proposed solar panels, and many other things that affect the town, we need a Citizen’s Assembly. We need a much more open forum on how we fight climate breakdown.
It is not enough to listen to HBC discuss and make decisions at an event where the public are offered no route to join in the debate. Because of this, people can only be reactive and get angry and frustrated, they can only protest, rather than be part of the discussion.
What is your opinion of Amber Rudd launching an appeal? Is this turning into a political issue?
It is a great shame that this petition was launched as a political opportunity, rather than coming from a local community – for example the Friends of Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve.
For the Conservatives to launch a petition when they are the party that have made rooftop solar energy less viable is hypocritical.
Also it is the Conservative Party that promotes fossil-fuel mining and is trying to override local people’s ability to fight fracking proposals. By removing a local Council’s decision-making power, they have undermined local democracy. This does not bode well for the environment.
Link to sign the Greens’ climate emergency letter here.
Link to invest in the community energy offer to fund solar panels on the roof of Ore College.
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9 Comments
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Well, Julia Hilton hasn’t come out this proposal at all! She is at best non-committal saying she “has reservations”. What she is actually saying is that it isn’t a good decision politically. It seems to me that Julia Hilton is just playing a political game here. She says the council should have consulted Natural England. The Council is consulting with Natural England! That’s the whole point of the exercise; for officers to consult and prepare a report on the feasibility. One of the reports I have read says the existing biodiversity on the proposed sites is poor. Presumably that’s because the areas are currently used for sheep grazing which isn’t that great fro biodiversity. The report also says that it wouldn’t be practicable to allow sheep grazing on the fields if and when the panels are in-situ so this would encourage more biodiversity. I’m not for or against have solar panels there. I would like to reserve my judgement until the consultations and the full/final officer reports have been published and for people who should know better to stop politicising the issue and for others to stop their knee jerk reactions
Comment by rusle — Tuesday, Jan 28, 2020 @ 14:08
Well done Julia Hilton for coming out against this shocking proposal – what were HBC thinking?! We need a properly thought-through and imaginative green agenda for the town that really brings results for the long term. Something that all residents can back – not this sort of back-of-an-envelope money raising scheme which will doubtless prove a loss maker anyway. This is something the local Green Party can take a decisive lead on.
Comment by Richard — Saturday, Jan 19, 2019 @ 17:09
I wholeheartedly agree with Ken and Mrs Doubtfire. Yes to solar energy – No to installing solar panels in our country park and No, you don’t need to waste our money on a feasibility study to tell you it is a stupid idea. IT IS A STUPID IDEA. Look at all the available roof tops and easily accessible brownfield sites. Get a grip HBC. And well done Amber Rudd for opposing it. I don’t care if it is to gain political brownie points, it is the right thing to do.
Comment by Eye on the ball — Thursday, Jan 17, 2019 @ 14:28
Agree with Ms Doubtfire – and Ken’s comment on prioritising more small-scale installations.
Comment by DAR — Tuesday, Jan 15, 2019 @ 12:27
It is pretty concerning to see that before wasting more of our money on feasability studies, Peter Chowney and his associates did not consider their first port of call should be Natural England. Nope – feet first every time without any thought of the costs to the residents in this town. Ground mounted solar panels require strict security measures with secure fencing all around as they carry high voltages of electricty. These panels have to be secured so no people or animals can access the area. Surely this is contrary to the ethos of our country park. It really does appear we have a prime example of the Mad Hatters Tea Party in situ as our council.
Comment by Ms.Doubtfire — Monday, Jan 14, 2019 @ 17:09
In my opinion it is entirely wrong to have ground supported solar (except perhaps on a former waste tip!) when there are plenty of large (and small) roofs in the town to mount pv panels.
Existing green areas should be used to grow as much carbon dioxide absorbing green stuff as possible, be it oak trees or sphagnum moss.
These unattached (to a building) arrays will also, no doubt, feed into the national grid where around 30% of the power generated will be lost into grid transmission. Solar on buildings can feed directly into the buildings below them and, if a small legislative change were made, into adjoining buildings too without transmission losses.
Comment by ken davis — Monday, Jan 14, 2019 @ 10:08
The article states:
“Hastings Borough Council (HBC), with its majority of Labour councillors, has proposed to put two arrays of solar panels in the Country Park and one at Upper Wilting Farm in Crowhurst.”
My understanding is that HBC is conducting an initial feasibility study that may lead onto further exploration as to the possibility of the solar panels being installed. In my opinion, it’s sloppy journalism to say that the council has “proposed” to take this action when no such decision has been made.
Comment by Kim Stallwood — Monday, Jan 14, 2019 @ 10:08
Other than getting a stone monolith and posing for press pictures next to it, I can’t think of many more ways Hastings Borough Council’s cabinet could alienate the electorate.
Perhaps they could close some more public lavatories?
A great deal more public consultation could save the council and ratepayers considerable amounts of money from being squandered on consultancy fees.
Their political advisers aren’t very astute, to say the least.
Comment by Penny — Monday, Jan 14, 2019 @ 08:59
It doesn’t really matter who launched this petition the main issue is that a petition has been launched. I am pleased Amber Rudd has launced this petition – and I am also pleased to see so many people speak out against these proposals. Solar power is to be welcomed but it must be in the right place and our country park is not the right place. And discussing these proposals without any consultation with the electorate of Hastings is yet another example of Peter Chowney’s unacceptable governance.
Comment by Ms.Doubtfire — Saturday, Jan 12, 2019 @ 19:45