Devon CPRE urges support for Sunshine Bill

A local environmental charity is urging South West residents to take action and back a new bill that could pave the way for solar panels to be installed on all new homes.

Devon CPRE, the local branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is backing MP Max Wilkinson’s Private Member’s Bill, the New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill, also known as the ‘Sunshine Bill.’ The Bill, which is scheduled for its second reading on Friday, January 17, aims to make it compulsory for developers to install solar panels on the rooftops of new houses.

The Bill has garnered significant support, with the Devon CPRE calling on residents to persuade their MPs to vote in favour to ensure its progression in Parliament. The charity argues that this legislation is critical for the environment and for reducing household energy costs while protecting the countryside from sprawling solar farms.

Steve Crowther, Chairman of Devon CPRE, said, “The Sunshine Bill could be a game changer by finally making solar panels mandatory on all new homes – cutting bills, protecting the countryside and helping us tackle the climate crisis. We have campaigned long and hard for a rooftop solar revolution and our research shows that 60% of the UK’s solar targets could be delivered on rooftops within ten years. Time is of the essence. We want to see every South West MP show up on the 17th and say a resounding YES to rooftop solar.”

Research by CPRE has shown that, with rooftop solar, 60% of the UK’s solar targets could be met within the next decade, and 160% by 2050. This would help the UK achieve its clean power goals while preventing the further loss of agricultural land to large-scale solar projects. Currently, some 30 Devon farms have already been lost to solar developments.

Crowther has written to North Devon MP Ian Roome, urging him to support the Bill. In his letter, Crowther highlights the growing threat to farmland, citing new proposals to cover 17,000 acres of South-West Norfolk with solar panels, which could take the equivalent of more than 50 farms out of production. He stresses the importance of the Bill in unlocking the potential of rooftop solar, calling it a key solution to achieving the UK’s clean energy targets.

“Please show your support for the Sunshine Bill on January 17,” Crowther wrote to Roome. “This bill is pivotal for unlocking the power of rooftop solar, setting the UK on the road to achieving its clean power target without the lazy, cheap option of covering our farmland with glass.”

To help ensure the success of the Bill, Devon CPRE has made it easy for people to take action. Supporters can send a message to their MPs, urging them to vote in favour of the Bill by visiting the CPRE website and sharing this link. 

For more information on the Sunshine Bill, including an explainer on the legislation, click here. 

The message from Devon CPRE is clear: “Don’t delay, take action today!”