Communities and individuals hosting grid upgrade projects on their doorstep should be offered “tangible” compensation, the new energy minister has said.
In one of his first public outings since getting appointed as minister of state less than a fortnight ago, Justin Tomlinson said he is “excited” about the potential for community benefits but “a little nervous about whether we will not get it quite right”.
The government has previously set out proposals to offer packages of community benefits and bill discounts to people living close to transmission network projects – the scheme has been dubbed ‘pounds for pylons’.
Speaking before the energy security and net zero committee, Tomlinson said: “It should be genuinely community led. There shouldn’t be presumed community benefits but those who are impacted having a genuine say and full flexibility in what that community benefits should be.”
On larger schemes, that could either mean cash payments or cumulative community projects, such as leisure, environmental or infrastructure improvements, he said: “If community benefits are going to work with the public, it has to be tangible benefits because otherwise you are spending customers money for no reason at all.
Tomlinson also expressed reservations about allowing a “complete ban” on using high quality agricultural land for developing solar farms.
Under government planning rules, a presumption exists against developing Best and Most Versatile agricultural land for solar farms.
However, ministers are coming under pressure from backbench Conservative MPs, including during a three-hour long Westminster Hall debate on the topic last week, to introduce a total embargo on the use of such land.
But Tomlinson said such applications should be looked at on a “case by case basis” and the government doesn’t want a “complete ban” because it could result in parcels of high-quality farmland left fallow if they are in the middle of a larger solar development.
And responding to committee members’ concerns that not enough is being done to install solar on warehouse roofs, he said this could be because landlords may not think it is worthwhile to fit panels if they are not planning to hold onto the property long term.
But the minister said rooftop solar is a “big area of potential growth opportunity.”