7 minute read
19 Politics
One in 34 houses are second homes, that’s three times the national average, says the Green Party’s Ken Huggins who proposes radical solutions
When the new Local Plan for Dorset was put out for consultation last year, many people were dismayed by the number of new houses proposed to be built. At 4,458 a year it represented a 47% increase on the existing Local Plan. Surprised by the unprecedented number of responses to the consultation, Dorset Council is now rethinking the matter. Yes, we need new housing, but not so many. And most crucially we need genuinely affordable housing for low-income households and young families. Private developers are focused on building for open market sale, because prices are so high in Dorset. The general requirement for larger housing sites to provide 35% affordable housing does little good for those in need, because affordable is defined as no more than 80% of open market prices or rents. That still means prices out of reach for people on an average local income. The same applies to rental properties if they’re set at 80% of market rents. Also, time and again we see developers agreeing to an ‘affordable’ housing quota when obtaining planning permission, but once construction begins they claim the development is no longer financially viable and so they apply to reduce the number of affordable houses to boost their profits. A final shocking statistic is that here in Dorset one in 34 homes are second homes, empty for much or all of the time. That’s nearly three times the national average. It is unacceptable. The Green Party approach is as radical as the circumstances demand. Suitable sites should be compulsorily purchased by Dorset Council and made available to housing associations and Community Land Trusts to build social rented housing. This would be the equivalent of council housing that this country once excelled at before the disaster of right-to-buy with local authorities being unable to build replacement homes. Ken Huggins, Parish Councillor Hazelbury Bryan
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Why is Dorset so slow to adopt a policy of solar panels on roofs?
There is a political battle raging over giant solar farms which blight the countryside and reduce food production, and smaller less impactful initiatives. Dorset so far has not shone but may now be catching up, says Rupert Hardy, Chair of North Dorset CPRE
North Dorset CPRE has always been supportive of renewable energy, especially at a time of Climate Emergency, and we support small (less than 5MW) community-funded solar farms as do the Low Carbon Dorset team at Dorset Council (DC). However we have opposed a number of huge solar industrial power plant planning applications that can desecrate our beautiful countryside, especially if it is good agricultural land that should be growing food for Dorset. We have also consistently argued for solar panels to be put on public buildings and industrial roofs, as well as more on household roofs. The record though is lamentable. As of September 2021, 95.4% of households and 98.4% of businesses within the DC area did not have solar panels on their roofs. Why?
Local ownership of panels
The phasing out of domestic solar panel subsidies in recent years meant that individuals became reluctant installers, despite the drop in prices of panels. While cash-strapped local authorities have been unable to help, community energy groups have sprung up with the goal of offering panels at very competitive rates. It is a growing movement in which energy generation is owned not by large industrial companies but by local communities, with the profits invested back into the community. However last month Community Energy England, in advance of the second reading of the Local Electricity Bill, said that ministers were failing to respond to growing support for community renewable energy, or properly plan for growth in line with net-zero commitments. As many as 280 MPs (out of 650) have now committed their support to this Bill, which is designed to ensure that Ofgem creates a ‘Right to Local Supply’ framework. There was no mention of funding for community energy in the Prime Minister’s Ten-Point Plan in 2020, nor in recent Budgets, while most of the decarbonisation funding is going to local authorities and not community groups. Many also ask why the government did not make the fitting of solar panels on all new buildings mandatory in its low carbon strategy announced before COP26, rather than subsidising heat pumps, which are not feasible or too expensive for many homes. Some councils also now stipulate solar PV provision as part of their planning conditions, but DC have not yet. Despite this, last March Sustainable Swanage and community energy group, Purbeck Energy, launched a project to offer Swanage
Some UK councils now stipulate solar PV provision as part of their planning conditions, but Dorset have not yet; Rupert Hardy questions this lack of initiative
residents the chance to get solar panels for their properties at competitive rates. They are using a company, IDDEA, which has already installed 1,000 panels across southern England. The Swanage Mayor, Mike Bonfield, is fully supportive and praised it as a “brilliant scheme”. How about some of our North Dorset towns encouraging the same?
The Church of England has begun a programme of solar panel installations - even on buildings such as the Grade I listed medieval church St Mary of the Annunciation, Beaminster - as they will be barely visible from the ground
Non impact initiatives
One of the reasons for slow progress on industrial buildings has been issues of building ownership and leasehold arrangements, as well as roof weight and warranties. However progress is now being made to improve the energy efficiency on public buildings in Dorset, where ownership is clearer. The first major push came from DC’s Low Carbon Dorset team, who gave grants of £5m to fund 4.1MW of projects, both public sector and business, thanks initially to the European Regional Development Fund. In the last year DC was given £19m by the government for more renewable projects, which include solar PV, heat pumps and LED lighting. This was one of the biggest grant packages given by the government, so well done DC. It is paying for panels to go on the roof of Durlston Castle and the art gallery, County Hall in Dorchester, and various schools. In North Dorset, Blandford School is adding more panels to its existing ones, while Gillingham School has installed some too. Bridport-based Dorset Community Energy, which facilitates community ownership of renewable energy production, has financed the installation of panels on twelve schools, including Blandford School, and four community buildings throughout Dorset, such as Blandford Community Hospital. Thanks initially to the Lottery, and now 98 local shareholders, it has funded 1.5MW of panels. We hope to see more of these community-led projects.
The church enters the battle!
The Church of England may not be a pioneering custodian of the nation’s most historic fabric, but it is now installing panels on many of Dorset’s churches, even Grade I listed medieval
Swanage Mayor, ones such as St Mary of the Annunciation,
Mike Bonfield, Beaminster, as they praised it as a will be barely visible “brilliant scheme”. How about some of from the ground. Farmers are slowly fitting panels to their our North Dorset buildings, but it is towns encouraging estimated that only the same? a small proportion of farmers so far in Dorset have done so. Weight problems are often quoted as to why less retro-fitting is done. Mole Energy, part of Mole Valley Farmers, the cooperative group, have certainly been busy promoting the fitting of panels to farm buildings here, but have pointed out that renewed demand is now facing capacity issues. They say the rapid phasing out of domestic subsidies in 2016 meant many solar PV installers had to diversify and the associated tradesmen left the industry, so there may be too few installers now. We have openly criticised DC’s Draft Local Plan for its total lack of ambition in pushing developers to adopt more sustainable and energy efficient building standards, compatible with its declared Climate Emergency strategy. However the recent publication of DC’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy promises positive changes, so we urge DC to include initiatives to promote roof-mounted panels in the Local Plan’s next iteration this spring. Please do ask your MP to put pressure though on government for a more credible low carbon strategy, as this is so critical. Rupert Hardy Chairman, North Dorset, Campaign to Protect Rural England
