The Alternative Green Energy Thread

JKenH

Reform’s councils begin war on net zero projects in countryside

Reform UK has declared war on net zero developments in the countryside.

Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, said the party will use its new control of ten councils to use “every lever” available to block renewable projects.

The Telegraph can reveal that Mr Tice will write to potential developers in Lincolnshire projects following Reform’s historic local election victories on Friday.

He said: “I’m now going to write again to them, saying now that we’ve won these elections, you need to be under no illusion. This is war. We will wage war against you people and your terrible ideas.

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“If you think that you’re going to do this in the county of Lincolnshire, you are going to regret it. You’re going to waste your money.

“It’s going to be very painful financially, so you might as well take your money and your daft ideas elsewhere.”

The MP for Boston and Skegness added: “Whether it’s planning blockages, whether it’s judicial reviews, whether it’s lawsuits, whether it’s health and safety notices, we will use every available legal measure to an extreme way in order to frustrate these people.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/05/03/reform-councils-begin-war-net-zero-development-countryside/

QrizB

I'm sure the various council tax payers will be happy to see their representatives chasing this, rather than delivering services.

JKenH

QrizB said:

I'm sure the various council tax payers will be happy to see their representatives chasing this, rather than delivering services.

The solar farms against which, the formerly Tory run, Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire County had been fighting hard, are a major issue for many people as as is the proposal to run new pylons the length of Lincolnshire. The fact that the government was pushing these proposals through against the will of the local people has only aggravated the situation. Reform and Tory won two thirds of the votes cast so, I believe there will be a lot of taxpayers who will actually be very happy with Mr Tice’s statement of policy. 

michaels

JKenH said:

QrizB said:

I'm sure the various council tax payers will be happy to see their representatives chasing this, rather than delivering services.

The solar farms against which, the formerly Tory run, Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire County had been fighting hard, are a major issue for many people as as is the proposal to run new pylons the length of Lincolnshire. The fact that the government was pushing these proposals through against the will of the local people has only aggravated the situation. Reform and Tory won two thirds of the votes cast so, I believe there will be a lot of taxpayers who will actually be very happy with Mr Tice’s statement of policy. 

But ultimately it will be lots of local taxpayer money spent with precisely zero benefit, local govt has never been able to overturn national planning decisions.

Cardew

michaels said:

JKenH said:

QrizB said:

I'm sure the various council tax payers will be happy to see their representatives chasing this, rather than delivering services.

The solar farms against which, the formerly Tory run, Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire County had been fighting hard, are a major issue for many people as as is the proposal to run new pylons the length of Lincolnshire. The fact that the government was pushing these proposals through against the will of the local people has only aggravated the situation. Reform and Tory won two thirds of the votes cast so, I believe there will be a lot of taxpayers who will actually be very happy with Mr Tice’s statement of policy. 

But ultimately it will be lots of local taxpayer money spent with precisely zero benefit, local govt has never been able to overturn national planning decisions.

For the appellant it is a time consuming and expensive process to appeal a decision of a Council Planning Committee who take very seriously the possibility of damage to the habitat of the Natterjack Toad or Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth(Hemaris fuciformis)!! 

 Whilst not being in any way a supporter of Farage, surely the point Reform are making is that these projects are from commercial firms who will have to spend considerable sums to overcome even frivolous council decisions.   

JKenH

michaels said:

JKenH said:

QrizB said:

I'm sure the various council tax payers will be happy to see their representatives chasing this, rather than delivering services.

The solar farms against which, the formerly Tory run, Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire County had been fighting hard, are a major issue for many people as as is the proposal to run new pylons the length of Lincolnshire. The fact that the government was pushing these proposals through against the will of the local people has only aggravated the situation. Reform and Tory won two thirds of the votes cast so, I believe there will be a lot of taxpayers who will actually be very happy with Mr Tice’s statement of policy. 

But ultimately it will be lots of local taxpayer money spent with precisely zero benefit, …

Just like the £22bn ploughed into biomass

michaels

Cardew said:

michaels said:

JKenH said:

QrizB said:

I'm sure the various council tax payers will be happy to see their representatives chasing this, rather than delivering services.

The solar farms against which, the formerly Tory run, Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire County had been fighting hard, are a major issue for many people as as is the proposal to run new pylons the length of Lincolnshire. The fact that the government was pushing these proposals through against the will of the local people has only aggravated the situation. Reform and Tory won two thirds of the votes cast so, I believe there will be a lot of taxpayers who will actually be very happy with Mr Tice’s statement of policy. 

But ultimately it will be lots of local taxpayer money spent with precisely zero benefit, local govt has never been able to overturn national planning decisions.

For the appellant it is a time consuming and expensive process to appeal a decision of a Council Planning Committee who take very seriously the possibility of damage to the habitat of the Natterjack Toad or Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth(Hemaris fuciformis)!! 

 Whilst not being in any way a supporter of Farage, surely the point Reform are making is that these projects are from commercial firms who will have to spend considerable sums to overcome even frivolous council decisions.   

I thought the govt has/will be changing the law precisely to prevent local councils overturning 'nationally important' infrastructure precisely to get through things like power transmission lines and power generation (and of course more houses everywhere, especially in non-labour supporting areas)

ed110220

JKenH said:

Reform’s councils begin war on net zero projects in countryside

Reform UK has declared war on net zero developments in the countryside.

Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, said the party will use its new control of ten councils to use “every lever” available to block renewable projects.

The Telegraph can reveal that Mr Tice will write to potential developers in Lincolnshire projects following Reform’s historic local election victories on Friday.

He said: “I’m now going to write again to them, saying now that we’ve won these elections, you need to be under no illusion. This is war. We will wage war against you people and your terrible ideas.

Advertisement

“If you think that you’re going to do this in the county of Lincolnshire, you are going to regret it. You’re going to waste your money.

“It’s going to be very painful financially, so you might as well take your money and your daft ideas elsewhere.”

The MP for Boston and Skegness added: “Whether it’s planning blockages, whether it’s judicial reviews, whether it’s lawsuits, whether it’s health and safety notices, we will use every available legal measure to an extreme way in order to frustrate these people.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/05/03/reform-councils-begin-war-net-zero-development-countryside/

So they've gone full Trump. Let's have more expensive and dirty energy and sink further into stagnation just to demonstrate what hardcore reactionaries we are!

JKenH

michaels said:

Cardew said:

michaels said:

JKenH said:

QrizB said:

I'm sure the various council tax payers will be happy to see their representatives chasing this, rather than delivering services.

The solar farms against which, the formerly Tory run, Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire County had been fighting hard, are a major issue for many people as as is the proposal to run new pylons the length of Lincolnshire. The fact that the government was pushing these proposals through against the will of the local people has only aggravated the situation. Reform and Tory won two thirds of the votes cast so, I believe there will be a lot of taxpayers who will actually be very happy with Mr Tice’s statement of policy. 

But ultimately it will be lots of local taxpayer money spent with precisely zero benefit, local govt has never been able to overturn national planning decisions.

For the appellant it is a time consuming and expensive process to appeal a decision of a Council Planning Committee who take very seriously the possibility of damage to the habitat of the Natterjack Toad or Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth(Hemaris fuciformis)!! 

 Whilst not being in any way a supporter of Farage, surely the point Reform are making is that these projects are from commercial firms who will have to spend considerable sums to overcome even frivolous council decisions.   

I thought the govt has/will be changing the law precisely to prevent local councils overturning 'nationally important' infrastructure precisely to get through things like power transmission lines and power generation (and of course more houses everywhere, especially in non-labour supporting areas)

That’s a dangerous route to go down. It may seem fine when you are in power and convinced you are in the right but no political party stays in power forever. If Reform win the next general election, what is to stop them using those same powers to force through fracking?  

Edit; added “?”

Cardew

michaels said:

Cardew said:

michaels said:

JKenH said:

QrizB said:

I'm sure the various council tax payers will be happy to see their representatives chasing this, rather than delivering services.

The solar farms against which, the formerly Tory run, Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire County had been fighting hard, are a major issue for many people as as is the proposal to run new pylons the length of Lincolnshire. The fact that the government was pushing these proposals through against the will of the local people has only aggravated the situation. Reform and Tory won two thirds of the votes cast so, I believe there will be a lot of taxpayers who will actually be very happy with Mr Tice’s statement of policy. 

But ultimately it will be lots of local taxpayer money spent with precisely zero benefit, local govt has never been able to overturn national planning decisions.

For the appellant it is a time consuming and expensive process to appeal a decision of a Council Planning Committee who take very seriously the possibility of damage to the habitat of the Natterjack Toad or Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth(Hemaris fuciformis)!! 

 Whilst not being in any way a supporter of Farage, surely the point Reform are making is that these projects are from commercial firms who will have to spend considerable sums to overcome even frivolous council decisions.   

I thought the govt has/will be changing the law precisely to prevent local councils overturning 'nationally important' infrastructure precisely to get through things like power transmission lines and power generation (and of course more houses everywhere, especially in non-labour supporting areas)

Agreed, albeit I believe the emphasis was more on housing and grey belt land. see A Simple Guide to Labour's New Planning Laws: What’s Changed and How Can I Benefit? - Plan It

However if Reform carry out their threat to use 'every lever' to oppose commercially backed projects, I doubt the Government, as opposed to the commercial company, will pick up all the legal costs involved in fighting the council.