The Prime Minister has set out his ten-point plan for a green
industrial revolution.
Following this announcement, Country Land & Business
Association President Mark Bridgeman has responded to
some of the key aspects that will affect rural businesses.
Offshore wind:
“This is an important step to decarbonise power, but for the UK’s
energy system to be resilient, we need diversity in low carbon
power sources, such as solar and biomass. Rural areas can help
these grow, providing there’s more investment in the grid to
ensure it can balance these types of generation and provide local
capacity for clean heat and electric vehicles.”
Hydrogen:
“Hydrogen could play an important part in energy storage but will
currently do little to help rural areas, as most rural properties
aren’t connected to the gas grid. The Government needs to invest
in the necessary infrastructure to make this viable for rural
properties.”
Electric vehicles:
“If Government is serious about phasing out diesel cars and
replacing them with electric cars, then the infrastructure
required in rural areas to make this a reality needs urgent
action.
“Both charge-points and sufficient capacity in local electricity
grids need to be available for rural businesses, of which there
are around 550,000 in England alone, if they are to keep up with
their urban counterparts and take advantage of greener, cleaner
transport. Fast-tracking rollout of these charge-points can
create jobs and safeguard the rural economy, which is already 16%
less productive than the national average.”
Homes and public buildings:
“It’s encouraging to see the Green Homes Grant scheme extended,
which the CLA advocated in its Spending Review submission to HMT.
However, the next tranche of funding must include interventions
suitable for rural homes, which are the least energy efficient
due to challenges of being off the gas grid. Changing heating
type has a much bigger effect on decarbonising rural homes than
what can be funded under the scheme at present.
Nature:
“Landowners want to plant more trees, but if the UK target is to
be met of 30,000 hectares per year, woodland creation,
particularly in England and Wales, needs to be made easier and
more attractive than the current land uses. Better advice and
much-needed grants would help achieve this.”
Innovation and finance:
“Farmers and landowners have a crucial role to play in restoring
our natural environment, and this can be done through ELMS and
Biodiversity Net Gain.
“Green finance must support increased private investment in the
management of the nation’s natural capital and the full range of
economic benefits this provides.
Innovation could cover agri-tech investment in more sustainable
farming as well as nature-based solutions to issues such as
climate change, flooding and water quality.”
Commenting on the creation of new Government parks to help the
green recovery, Mr Bridgeman added:
“Our designated landscapes are living, working places. We are
often told that people who live in designated landscape areas
feel that their needs for jobs, housing and services are
forgotten by Government, and that they do not benefit from
economic growth.
“Therefore, we have been pressing Government for the
implementation of a third statutory purpose for designated areas,
to foster the socio-economic wellbeing of communities who live
and work in these places. This would help deliver the
Government’s objective of “levelling up” and ensure these
beautiful areas remain sustainable.”
