Commons Sense

Hansard-based summaries and metrics

Community Energy Projects 2025-11-18

2025-11-18

View full transcript on Parliament.uk -->
TAGS
Response quality

Questions & Answers

Q1 Partial Answer
Lisa Smart LD
Hazel Grove
▸ Context
The question arises from issues faced by Stockport Hydro, a community project in Hazel Grove that has encountered difficulties with the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency delayed the licence inspection for 227 days and struggled to provide necessary information.
More community energy is obviously good for the planet and for the pockets of bill payers, and it is certainly good for our energy security. The amazing volunteers at Stockport Hydro, Greater Manchester’s first hydroelectric producing plant which is in the River Goyt in my Hazel Grove constituency, tell me about the problems they are having with the Environment Agency stopping them doing their work. They were kept waiting for 227 days for the result of a licence inspection, and they have struggled to get information from it. A lead volunteer told me that if the EA continues in this way, community energy is “doomed”. What conversations is the Minister having across the Government to ensure that community energy delivers the clean power that we need?
The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)
I thank the hon. Lady for that question, and pay tribute to all those involved in Stockport Hydro for the work they are doing. Clearly, it has been too much of a challenge, and we need to make it easier. Alongside much-needed funding, we must make the regulatory landscape much easier, and across Government we are having a review of regulation to ensure that we can move faster to build things in this country. Nowhere is that more important than in communities that have come together to deliver a project. That is good for us as a country, good for social and economic growth and good for local communities, and we need to make it easier. I am happy to discuss the issue further with the hon. Lady, because these are the kinds of projects that we want across the country.
▸ Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not provide specific details on conversations or actions taken to address regulatory issues faced by community energy projects like Stockport Hydro.
Response accuracy