Going green and saving money
EVIDENCE of the reality of climate change is all around us. Increasing incidence of extreme weather conditions is undeniable. The longer-term consequences are less visible, but no less real.
Unless we can arrest the rise in global temperatures, significant parts of the world will become uninhabitable.
The impact on food supplies, prices, and migration patterns is likely to be considerable.
In the face of these existential challenges, it can be tempting to bury your head in the sand or to be fatalistic and assume that planning for a better future is pointless. I remain convinced that if we all try to do our bit, it will make a difference.
Wokingham Borough Council is a very small part of a very big picture, but by taking steps locally, we are seeking to make a contribution to tackling one of the biggest threats of our lifetime and of the lifetimes of generations to come.
One example is our commitment to plant more trees to increase canopy cover, which will help absorb and neutralize atmospheric pollution.
Many of the other initiatives we are pursuing aim to reduce reliance on non-renewable sources of energy, such as coal and gas, but also to save money for the council and for residents.
We are putting energy saving measures into practice in the new dwellings we are building for rent, such as at Grovelands in Winnersh and at Gorse Ride in Finchampstead. The new homes will save their incoming residents considerable sums on heating and lighting.
We are including cutting-edge energy saving requirements in the new policies of our emerging local plan, which will mean that private housebuilders will need to meet higher standards of construction and insulation.
We are installing solar panels wherever we can on the council’s estate and made it possible for residents who want to install their own to benefit from bulk purchase rates.
And, perhaps most conspicuously of all, we are developing an ambitious project of solar farms.
The first, at Barkham, received planning permission under the previous administration, but was put in jeopardy last spring when we were told that the date for connection to the grid had to be put back 11 years to 2037.
Thanks to excellent work by council officers in the climate emergency team and other parts of the council, supported by Cllr Sarah Kerr, we have been able to negotiate a deal that restores the original 2026 connection date.
To say this is a considerable achievement is no exaggeration; ours is one of the few solar projects to be given such an early connection date.
By securing a 2026 connection, we will be able to reduce reliance on non-renewables much sooner than if we had to wait until 2037. We will be able to secure the benefits in terms of saving money and generating income much sooner.
That matters, as the council, along with every council in the land, is suffering from the double whammy of inflation and rising demand for our services. We need to save money and find extra income as soon as possible to help cover increased costs and increased demand.
The good news about early connection to the grid is made even better by revised estimates of the potential savings and income that we could generate. It is now about three times higher than when the project was first considered.
Every pound profit we generate through the solar farm (and others that will comes) is a pound more we can spend to help our residents.
Cllr Stephen Conway is the leader of Wokingham Borough Council and ward
member for Twyford