Latest News

Views sought to Council’s plans for renewable energy

Published: 18/05/2016

Flintshire’s residents are being invited to share their views on the Council’s draft ten year renewable energy action plan. The ambitious plan will see the County Council creating its own renewable energy, by using some of its considerable land assets, ranging from farms to restored landfill sites, parks and woodland, as renewable energy sources. This will be both sustainable and profitable, with the income generated helping the County Council in its continuing challenge to find savings and efficiencies. It will also create economic growth and local jobs. Waste wood collected at the Council’s civic amenity sites has been identified as a potential source of power generation for heat and light, with potential savings identified of at least £500,000 a year. More tree planting is planned, which would create a sustainable source of biomass(wood chips, pellet and logs) that would also create additional woodland areas, accessible to the public. Among its ambitions is also the possibility that, as a generator of renewable energy, the Council could become an energy supplier to local people and businesses. Solar farms are also being considered, with locations to be determined. A public consultation exercise is now underway to ask people to provide their views on the aims and objectives of the plan. Councillor Bernie Attridge, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment said: “This Council is committed to doing its fair share to reduce our carbon footprint, to using energy as efficiently as it can and to promoting energy efficiency at every opportunity. “Our ten year action plan, and the projects proposed within it, will have long term benefits for both the Council and Flintshire’s residents, with a potential significant source of income, lower energy costs, and the sustainable benefit of lower carbon emissions. “This consultation is an opportunity for our residents and businesses to share their views on our ambitious plan, and I would encourage as many people as possible to fill in the questionnaire.” The questionnaire can be found at www.flintshire.gov.uk/RenewableEnergy. The closing date for responses is 29 June.