Agenda item

To be moved by Councillor Ball and seconded by Councillor Thorp.

Prior to the discussions on Minutes 102 and 103, the Monitoring Officer advised members that ongoing planning matters and planning applications could not be discussed. Members were not to pre-judge, or appear to pre-judge, these matters.

It was moved by Councillor Ball and seconded by Councillor Thorp that:

 

Council Notes:

 

1.    An increased use of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, is critical in meeting the UK’s net-zero commitments and tackling climate change.

 

2.    Agricultural land is a finite and invaluable resource for food security, biodiversity, and the rural economy.  Open, unspoilt countryside is important for conservation, health and wellbeing and public amenity.

 

3.    Rooftops and car parks represent underutilised spaces that are highly suitable for solar panel installations, without reducing the many benefits of greenfield land, in particular its potential for food production and agriculture. 

 

4.    Several successful initiatives, including solar canopies over car parks (as seen in parts of the UK and Europe), demonstrate that solar power can be integrated into urban and suburban spaces effectively, generating significant energy and providing dual use, without the societal costs of losing large areas of greenfield land.

 

Council Believes:

 

1.    Preserving greenfield land and farmland is essential for ensuring local and national food security, especially in the face of global climate pressures and rising population demands.

 

2.    Solar energy development must be balanced with the need to protect greenfield land for other purposes, including agriculture, and the need to maintain the harmony of our countryside.

 

3.    Encouraging rooftop and car park solar installations will promote sustainable energy generation, while safeguarding land for farming and environmental conservation.

 

Council Resolves:

 

1.    To adopt a political stance in favour of small, discrete, solar panel installations, supporting their installation on:

 

·       Rooftops of commercial, residential, and public buildings.

·       Car parks through the development of solar canopies.

 

2.    To encourage the use of brown field land for large-scale solar farms,.

 

3.    To actively encourage partnerships with private and public sector organisations to maximise the use of existing infrastructure for renewable energy projects.

 

4.    To campaign at a regional and national level for policies that align with these priorities and provide financial incentives for rooftop and car park solar projects.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Sheppard and seconded by Councillor Read:

 

Council Resolves:

 

1.    To adopt a political stance in favour of small, discrete, solar panel installations, supporting their installation on:

 

·       Rooftops of commercial, residential, and public buildings.

·       Car parks through the development of solar canopies.

 

2.    To encourage the use of brown field land for large-scale solar farms,.

 

3.    To actively encourage partnerships with private and public sector organisations to maximise the use of existing infrastructure for renewable energy projects.

 

4.    To campaign at a regional and national level for policies that align with these priorities and provide financial incentives for rooftop and car park solar projects.

 

ADD:

5.    To note the 2023 report by the UCL Energy Institute for the Council for the Protection of Rural England which noted that rooftops could only provide about half of all the renewable energy needed to hit national net zero targets

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried, and the amended motion became the substantive motion which read as follows:

Council Notes:

 

1.    An increased use of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, is critical in meeting the UK’s net-zero commitments and tackling climate change.

 

2.    Agricultural land is a finite and invaluable resource for food security, biodiversity, and the rural economy.  Open, unspoilt countryside is important for conservation, health and wellbeing and public amenity.

 

3.    Rooftops and car parks represent underutilised spaces that are highly suitable for solar panel installations, without reducing the many benefits of greenfield land, in particular its potential for food production and agriculture. 

 

4.    Several successful initiatives, including solar canopies over car parks (as seen in parts of the UK and Europe), demonstrate that solar power can be integrated into urban and suburban spaces effectively, generating significant energy and providing dual use, without the societal costs of losing large areas of greenfield land.

 

Council Believes:

 

1.    Preserving greenfield land and farmland is essential for ensuring local and national food security, especially in the face of global climate pressures and rising population demands.

 

2.    Solar energy development must be balanced with the need to protect greenfield land for other purposes, including agriculture, and the need to maintain the harmony of our countryside.

 

3.    Encouraging rooftop and car park solar installations will promote sustainable energy generation, while safeguarding land for farming and environmental conservation.

 

Council Resolves:

 

1.    To adopt a political stance in favour of small, discrete, solar panel installations, supporting their installation on:

 

·       Rooftops of commercial, residential, and public buildings.

·       Car parks through the development of solar canopies.

 

2.    To encourage the use of brown field land for large-scale solar farms,.

 

3.    To actively encourage partnerships with private and public sector organisations to maximise the use of existing infrastructure for renewable energy projects.

 

4.    To campaign at a regional and national level for policies that align with these priorities and provide financial incentives for rooftop and car park solar projects.

 

5.    To note the 2023 report by the UCL Energy Institute for the Council for the Protection of Rural England which noted that rooftops could only provide about half of all the renewable energy needed to hit national net zero targets.

 

On being put to the vote the motion was carried.