Plug pulled on Harlow Council's solar panel scheme

PLANS to fit solar panels to hundreds of council homes in Harlow will not see the light of day after the Government slashed funding for the project.

The Harlow Council-backed initiative was originally launched in July when the authority announced photovaltic panels would be fitted to 1,200 properties across the town.

All installation and maintenance costs over the 25-year life of the programme were to be met by Kier Harlow, which planned to recoup its outlay through the Government’s Feed In Tariff (FiT) scheme.

But the entire project has now  ground to a halt after ministers announced plans to cut back FiT payments by 50 per cent – potentially leaving Kier out of pocket and hundreds of council tenants disappointed.

Council leader Andrew Johnson said the "unforeseen" funding reduction had left the authority no alternative but to shelve the programme less than half way through its first phase.

"Following the Government’s sudden proposed changes to subsidies, we have had to scale back the programme to 280 homes," he said. "We share our tenants’ disappointment.

"I hope the Government would consider allowing existing schemes to continue and I have lobbied our MP about this.

"In the meantime, the council and Kier Harlow are examining other ways in which we can help residents reduce their energy bills."

Harlow MP Robert Halfon said he had already raised the issue with energy minister Gregory Barker in the hope of securing additional funding to see the project through to completion.

He said: "As winter approaches we urgently need to help Harlow families and pensioners with the soaring cost of heating bills.

"I have met personally with the energy minister about this, urging the Government to finance these solar panels for our town. He is looking at this now.

"In the meantime there will be other measures to help, like the Green Deal, where Harlow households will be able to insulate their home for free.

"This will support at least 65,000 insulation and construction jobs by 2015"

But Labour group leader Mark Wilkinson said the Government had "badly let down" residents who had opted in to the scheme.

"I think it is important that this situation is put right," he said. "After bragging about helping everyone and helping to bring bills down the Government have pulled the plug overnight.

"A lot of residents were looking forward to cheaper utility bills which they will no longer receive.

"I would hope Mr Halfon will do all he can to turn this decision around and fight for the people of this town because his government has badly let down residents."