Greens call on Chris Huhne to admit he got it wrong.

The UK Government has lost its appeal against a court decision which blocked its attempts to reduce solar subsidies.

Responding to the decision, the Green Party of England and Wales, issued the following statement.

“The High Court ruling is a victory for the solar industry and for renewable energy campaigners in holding the Government to account over its illegal attempt to make retrospective changes to the solar tariff.

“Having lost twice in the Court of Appeal and been roundly humiliated over the shambolic handling of solar policy, it is absolutely beggars belief that the Department for Energy and Climate Change is apparently planning to appeal to the Supreme Court.

“The very least that the Secretary of State can now do is to show some integrity, accept that his ministers got it wrong on solar, and pull the plug on this legal merry-go-round which is putting UK jobs and future investment at risk.”

Swansea Council should carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment before allowing motorcycle racing on Swansea Beach

(Letter to the South Wales Evening Post)

Sir,

When one of our elected representatives risks unpopularity in such a public way we should consider their comments carefully, not dismiss them out of hand (‘MP wants brakes on racing as city gears up for bonanza’; page 3, Saturday 21 January)

If Council Leader Chris Holley believes that local MP Geraint Davies is wrong to claim that the proposed motorcycle event on Swansea Beach will be “an environmental disaster”, he can prove his case quite easily.

Swansea Council should carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to the event, publish the results and explain how the event fits into the environmental strategies of both Swansea and the Welsh Government.

Swansea Council’s own ‘Pre-Application Advice’ for planning applications states, “Proposals which are likely to give rise to significant environmental effects must be accompanied by an environmental statement. … The preparation of an Environmental Statement ensures that the impacts of a development are fully understood and taken into account before the development is allowed to proceed.”  (My emphasis)

Surely the Council’s own rules apply to them equally as much as to anyone else?

Yours,

Keith M Ross, Swansea Green Party

Notes: In response to this article:
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/MP-wants-brakes-racing-city-gears-bonanza/story-14994663-detail/story.html