Harriett Baldwin said, "I maintain that the Tenbury Business Park is the wrong place for a biomass plant for three reasons. First of all, it is a business park with high value white collar jobs on it. Secondly, the site is on the wrong side of Tenbury to the electricity grid and the main street would have to be dug up. Thirdly, it is not close to the source of the woodchip, so more heavy lorries will have to thunder through Tenbury. I am delighted that George Lord has listened to my arguments and has agreed to visit the Tenbury Business Park. I hope we can find a better location for the biomass plant near the source of the woodchip and close to the grid."
Confirming that biomass will be part of the agenda for an incoming Conservative government, local residents across Worcestershire could find it easier to generate their own green energy under major new plans announced by Conservatives. Policy proposals have been unveiled to promote 'decentralised energy' and microgeneration, as part of a strategy to fight climate change, make our energy supply more secure and help consumers save money.
The plans would enable small businesses, local schools, hospitals and homes across Worcestershire to generate low-carbon energy locally through small-scale and eco-friendly means. The announcement comes at a time when more hikes in gas and electricity bills for local households are in prospect.
The proposals include promoting scall-scale solar and photovoltaic systems, small wind turbines, biomass generators, micro-hydro and combined heat and power (CHP). The new policy ideas, welcomed by Harriett Baldwin would seek to:
- Create a new retailing culture in which anyone could walk into a supermarket or showroom and buy a micro-generator in the same way as people now buy white goods and mobile phones.
- Introduce a system of 'feed-in tariffs' - this means a price is paid by the energy companies for electricity generated by the low-carbon, local energy source. Consumers would pay no more than at present and, in the long term, they would start making savings on their bills.
- Promote the take-up of 'smart meters' which enable the householder or business user to have a much clearer idea of how much electricity they are producing and how much they are consuming.
Harriett Baldwin said:
"At a time of rising fuel costs, I believe that more microgeneration in Worcestershire could play a major role in combating climate change, reducing dependency on imported fuels, and informing people about their own personal use of energy.
"Just as we believe in the benefits of decentralising political power - devolving decision-making to local councils, neighbourhoods and individuals - Conservatives are also committed to decentralising power in its literal sense: the generation of electricity. This will help households and firms across Worcestershire to play their part in tackling climate change."
Photo: Harriett Baldwin visits the site of the proposed Tenbury biomass plant with Phil Wakeman from the Tenbury Action Group