Liberal Democrats leading way on green houses in Ipswich (Ipswich Liberal Democrats)

Ipswich Liberal Democrats <info@ipswichlibdems.org.uk>

Liberal Democrats leading way on green houses in Ipswich

June 21, 2007 7:42 PM

Green Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrat Environment portfolio holder, Louise Gooch, is introducing new planning rules that will require new developments in Ipswich, to generate their own energy through solar power, extracting heat from the ground, using heat exchangers to suck in hot air, using energy efficient boilers to help generate electricity, or in some cases using wind turbines to generate power.

The new regulations will come into force later in the year and require developments over 10 units in size to bring forward plans for energy generation as part of the planning submissions.

Louise Gooch said: "The regulations should go a substantial way towards making houses in the town more energy-efficient.

"This is a policy that has been pioneered in the London Borough of Merton and we would be the first council in Suffolk to introduce these kinds of regulations."

Cllr. Gooch said the new rules were currently being considered by panels of councillors, and could be implemented by the borough later in the year.