Third motion passed for new administration
Publish Date: 24 July 2023
A motion was passed at a Full Council meeting recently to explore creating a Local Community Energy Plan to identify sites for community energy projects in Wealden.
A Local Community Energy Plan enables communities to come together and identify local energy needs and opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy development to support the energy transition.
Alongside exploring a Local Community Energy Plan, the motion, proposed by Daniel Manvell, resolves to consider partnerships and collaboration with local organisations including Ovesco, Community Energy South, Energy Systems Catapult, Forest Row Energy, local residents and others.
Additionally, the motion asked the leader of the council to write to local MPs and ask them to support the inclusion of community energy clauses in the Energy Bill, based on the principles of the cross-party Local Electricity Bill.
Councillor Daniel Manvell, Labour councillor, said, “At the same time as the climate emergency, we are experiencing an economic crisis fuelled in part by inflationary, high-energy costs. The devastating impact of our reliance on fossil fuels is not just on our planet, but on our economy, and society.
“A Local Community Energy Plan would identify possible opportunities for green, community-owned energy to be used to power homes, with the profits retained by the local community. It is both a solution to the climate emergency and the cost-of-living crisis.”
Councillor Jane Clark, part of the ‘Alliance for Wealden’ and Liberal Democrat councillor, seconded the motion and said, “I became aware that Green Transition Crowborough had identified a site for the local community owned energy project. Unfortunately, the cost of linking the renewable energy to the grid was estimated at £175,000 making the project a non-starter. I hope that councillors will be supportive of this motion, exploring, if it is feasible, working in partnership to help deliver the energy plan for local communities.