Despite objections to Tony Blair's solar panels the Reverend has faith in Britain's planning laws for domestic renewables
Seeing our readers musing over leaving the country because of ‘crazy’ planning laws blocking solar panel installations struck a chord with me. Half my family have disappeared overseas because of mad bureaucrats and cameras watching your every move. My brother came back from South East Asia a month ago intending to stay but has booked his flight back already because he couldn’t take this oppressive lifestyle. Every morning I ask myself what I am doing here as I battle with my dog collar.
Anyway I digress. The reason for this outpouring of bile over our planners was because Tony Blair’s neighbour has objected to his plans to fit solar panels and CCTV cameras to his West London home because it would spoil the look of the street. I can understand objecting to the cameras but solar panels? What would you rather have, tumbleweed blowing over the deserts of South East England or solar panels on roofs? It’s not that they even look that bad. Solar panels usually sit flush with the roof and are not dissimilar in colour to slates. As technology moves on panels will become more discreet. There are even PV collectors available now that mimic roof slates, and once we get used to solar panels on every roof they will seem less obvious.
Thankfully DCLG is considering getting rid of the need for planning permission for domestic renewable installations. So I reckon I’ll stick around for now. Anyway I don’t think my neighbours would notice if I fitted solar panels on my roof as it is conveniently hidden behind a parapet. Not that I wouldn’t fit them without planning permission of course.
