Councillors in Basingstoke approved plans to spend £1 million on the installation of solar panels on six local council-owned buildings. These are the Deanes and Parklands buildings at the Civic Offices, the Eastrop Depot, John Arlott Pavilion at Basingstoke War Memorial Park, Brighton Hill Pavilion, the Wade Road Depot and Boat House. The council has already invested in schemes at the Beresford Centre and Whiteditch Depot.
The scheme will apparently generate a return of between five and eight per cent to the council which is planned to be reinvested in order to provide council services. Although approved last Tuesday, the plans are already coming under fire from local people and businesses.
This week business owners like Martin Heath, director of Basingstoke Energy Services Co-operative, supported the proposal however questioned the council on why they aren’t sourcing the panels from local businesses who might be able to fit them for a lower cost.
Cllr Izett defended the plans at the meeting saying: “I would hope it is regarded generally as positive news.” Cllr Izett also stated how he felt it showed great leadership on the councils part for taking responsibility in reducing the boroughs carbon emissions in a preventative manner. He also said in an interview that he thinks it is “an important step for the council and it is a commitment to invest a considerable sum of money. The council as a public body has a responsibility to reduce its impact on the land.”
**This is not one of my final pieces of work to be marked- I have written half a dozen news reports on topics and have chosen three reports which I will be submitting for my FYP. This is not one of them.**
Loosely defined 