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Green home improvements 'need element of control'
20/11/09
Edited by Andy Jowett. Government proposals that will allow residential property owners, developers and business to install wind turbines or air source heat pumps without planning permission have been given a cautious welcome by the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC).
The plans were announced earlier this week by housing minister John Healey in a bid to help the UK cut its carbon emissions.
NHIC executive director Andrew Leech said that while green home improvements such as wind turbines and photovoltaic panels are "crucial" to tackling climate change, there nevertheless has to be a degree of control in their use, as they could "stick out like a sore thumb" if they are not used correctly.
He added "all sorts of disputes" could arise between neighbours if the position of a wind turbine interferes with someone's line of sight.
"We need to make it easier for people to make environmental changes - but we also need to keep a little bit of control so they don't go overboard," Mr. Leech commented.
Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK has a legally-binding commitment to cut CO2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
