Yorkshire councils blocked green energy projects despite declaring 'climate emergency'

Climate emergencies have been declared by various councils and organisations across the country following the protests and demonstrations by groups such as Extinction Rebellion over the past 5 years.

The move is seen as an important demonstration that local representatives understand the scale of climate change and the radical change needed to help avert its negative effects.

Britain Remade found that projects rejected by these three councils could produce over 27 megawatts of clean energy, which it claimed would be enough to power over 27,000 homes with low-cost electricity.

Despite declaring a climate emergency in March 2019, Leeds City Council has recently turned down plans for a battery storage facility, saying it would "represent inappropriate development" in the Green Belt.

Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, this week announced that councils’ powers to block green belt development would be protected despite an attempt to name and shame local authorities that stand in the way of redevelopment during the housing crisis.

In October North Yorkshire Council rejected plans for a solar farm in Ryedale which could produce enough clean energy to power nearly 9,000 homes, the campaign group said, as well as Hambleton Council which rejected plans for a 200-acre solar farm because it made "no sense to destroy an environment to protect the environment".

Sam Richards, founder and campaign director at Britain Remade, said: “It is absurd that up and down the country local councils, despite declaring a climate emergency, have stood in the way of plans that could provide cheap clean energy to millions of homes.

“Across the country there is huge support for clean energy projects both large and small. But when these plans become part of the planning system, councils tend to hear from the most motivated voices - which unfortunately, tends to be the minority of people who are against a particular project.

“If we are to hit our 2050 net zero target and provide secure sources of clean energy that will help cut the energy bills of millions of people, local councils must match words with deeds.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​