HC 1605 Energy and Climate Change and Environmental Audit CommitteesWritten evidence submitted by Sudbury Market Town Partnership

On behalf of the Sudbury Market Town Partnership, which represents over 250 voluntary and community groups, churches and schools, I write to express our extreme disappointment at the Coalition Government’s decision to reduce the FiT for alternative energy systems with only six weeks’ notice of this change.

The Partnership and its sub-committee, Transition Sudbury and District, have been working very hard over recent months to seek to persuade local people to fit solar PV panels, not just private households, but commerce and industry in this area too, in an attempt to help cut greenhouse gas emissions and assist in carbon reduction.

The reduction in the amount of feed-in tariff will be a huge disincentive to all of those who were keen to get involved with this initiative. In particular, it is hugely disheartening to the many people who have ordered solar PV systems but who are unlikely to have them installed before the tariff changes.

This Government really does need to encourage all initiatives which will help cut carbon emissions.

Shame on all of those who state they are dedicated to promoting a “green” agenda. There is very little evidence of this.

1 December 2011