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Energy Planning 2025-07-10
10 July 2025
Lead MP
Bill Esterson
Debate Type
General Debate
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Other Contributors: 7
At a Glance
Bill Esterson raised concerns about energy planning 2025-07-10 in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Presented the Committee’s first report of this Session, “Gridlock or growth? Avoiding energy planning chaos”. Emphasised concerns about high energy prices for businesses and the need for clarity on how the clean power 2030 action plan and strategic spatial energy plan relate to grid connections and development consent process. Recommended common-sense reform in prioritising projects most likely to deliver needed infrastructure, early community engagement, and proper enforcement of mitigation measures.
Bath
Asked about the importance of community support for infrastructure and raised concerns about potential impact on biodiversity and lack of delivery on promised ecological mitigations. Emphasised the need to ensure that the energy transition is delivered in a genuinely nature-positive way.
Mike Reader
Lab
Northampton South
Emphasised the need for joined-up strategies and plans to deliver at pace while ensuring environmental protections are coherent. Recommended the Department work harder to ensure everything gives one coherent message to the market.
Edward Leigh
Con
Gainsborough
Questions whether there is an imbalance in the distribution of solar farms, with a focus on Lincolnshire. He mentions that his constituency has been affected by a significant number of solar farm developments and raises concerns about the impact on agricultural land.
Rachel Taylor
Lab
North Warwickshire and Bedworth
Compliments the Committee for their work, highlighting that National Grid's operations in her constituency echo the report's findings. She supports the Government’s efforts to expedite infrastructure projects through legislation.
Claire Young
LD
Thornbury and Yate
Raises concerns about ambiguity between central government statements and industry expectations regarding tidal range power generation from the Severn. She suggests that this confusion could hinder the UK's potential to lead in alternative energy generation.
Suffolk Coastal
Appreciates the report and discusses an amendment she proposed regarding coordination among developers for major infrastructure projects. She argues that this coordination is essential to manage the cumulative impact of such developments.
James Wild
Con
North West Norfolk
Expresses concern over the conversion of high-quality agricultural land into energy infrastructure in his constituency and questions why the Government has not prioritised energy security better within national policy statements. He advocates for building infrastructure on brownfield sites instead.
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