Solar Power Legal Ruling

As Labour's Environment spokesperson on Dundee City Council I have called on the UK Government to rethink its plans for solar power. The UK Government's plans have been ruled as being 'legally flawed'. The changes to the plans has resulted in proposals to use Dundee City Council properties to generate electricity being abandoned.

This legal decision shows the folly of the UK Government's plans. However, this legal decision gives the UK Government the chance to think again, I urge them to do just that. I hope that a rethink might allow the plans for Dundee to be revisited and I would hope that this innovative scheme might be up and running before too long.

The scheme proposed for Dundee would have been good for the economy of Dundee, good for tenants in Dundee and good for the environment in Dundee. I was pleased that the City Council agreed a response to the UK Government consultation on feed-in tariffs this week. It is important that we use any opportunity that comes along to produce cost-effective renewable energy.

I agree with my Labour colleague Caroline Flint that the UK Government must think again on this important issue and do what it can to sustainably support the solar power industry.