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Those of you who’ve been with us for a while will recognise a couple of familiar names writing for today’s newsletter - Mona and Anton who joined us from Germany earlier in the year.

We’re (virtually) welcoming them back for their final piece of placement work with us which asks the question - did England fall out of love with hydropower? It’s a good question and seems an overlooked renewable source especially in our region with its steep hills and fast rivers. You can read - and watch - their in-depth text and video report from Northumberland via the link below.

But first….

We often mention interesting research being undertaken, as we did back in January with this report on microplastics. Today, we can bring you the results of that research - although it’s not happy reading.

The new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Microplastics in collaboration with the Women’s Institute and Global Plastics Policy Centre at the University of Portsmouth warns that the UK is falling behind other countries in tackling microplastic pollution despite growing evidence of widespread contamination of the environment, food chain and human body.

The report, ‘Tackling Microplastic Pollution in the UK’ - being launched today in Parliament - calls for the Government to introduce legally binding targets to reduce microplastic pollution and establish a coordinated national strategy to tackle emissions across the plastics lifecycle.

It also highlights an emerging threat to food security that could have significant economic consequences: the accumulation of microplastics in agricultural soils. Microplastics have also been detected throughout the food chain, including in seafood, the most significant food source to carry microplastics, meat, fruit, vegetables, milk and drinking water, and the report identifies tyres, synthetic textiles, paints, plastic pellets, wastewater systems, packaging, and agricultural plastics among the major sources of microplastic pollution. All of these contributing to growing human exposure, and threat to human health.

🌏 Concern about the issue of microplastic pollution is one of the reasons we launched our eco refills business a couple of weeks ago - we’re here to help you ditch that plastic packaging waste from your bins!

Order planet friendly products from us

Are you part of the 89%?

The 89% is a phrase you’re about to become more familiar with if you’re an oat milk drinker. Oatly is printing summaries of what it calls “the ultimate climate solution” on every carton it produces to “unlock the power of the 89% of people” who want governments to tackle the climate crisis. This summer, that crisis has led to at least 35,000 excess deaths from extreme heat in Europe alone.

Oatly launched the awareness campaign in response to the journalism organisation Covering Climate Now’s 89 Percent Project. Oatly’s initiative, launched last week in its home country of Sweden before expanding internationally so, watch out for the messaging coming to your carton soon!

Elsewhere, we’ve plenty more local environmental news for you today including:

🥾 Time to get those boots walking

🪡 A stitch in time needed? A repair cafe could help

🛘 The 350 homes in our region enjoying geothermal heat

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From our website

🪡 Richmondshire Climate Action Partnership is on the move with its popular Repair Cafe going to Leyburn’s Arts & Community Centre, from 9.45am to 12.30pm on Saturday 12th September. www.richmondshireclimateaction.org/repair-cafe.

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In other news

⛏️ If you’ve just one click in you today then make it this one from Oliver Gordon at Reasons to be Cheerful with a fantastic long read about geothermal energy in the North East. He reports…..

🌳 Some good news reported by The Wildlife Trusts, that the ambitious campaign to purchase The Rothbury Estate in Northumberland received its biggest boost to date as £30m deadline looms.

🚢 As the nurdle spill reaches to Druridge Bay in the north and North Yorkshire to the south, contract clean-up workers are being laid off. Meanwhile volunteers are feeling exploited, reports Peter Sagar at NorthEastBylines.

🤖 Before you take to Chat GPT for ideas about what to have for dinner you might want to read this sobering explanation from Fergus Collins at BBC Countryfile about what really happens inside those giant data centres springing up across our region. “For every ChatGPT query you make, it takes one pint of water to cool the system.”

💦 And on the subject of data centres, Friends of the Earth (FoE) is campaigning against new development until a plan for water is put in place. It says: “The rush to build new data centres is piling pressure on our drought-ridden water system. And consuming vast amounts of energy – at a time when our burning planet is screaming out for us to use less.” The FoE petition is here.

⚡️ As we first reported back in July, households across the country are now able to join the millions across mainland Europe who generate their own renewable electricity using “balcony solar panels”, being stocked by some of the UK’s biggest retailers. Jillian Ambrose at The Guardian takes up the story.

• That’s it for now but, don’t forget, there’s plenty of stories you can browse on our website and via social media ahead of next week.

• Plus if you’re in County Durham, we’ll be back at our community newsroom based in the Artists’ Hub at Bishop Auckland from 10-3pm tomorrow (and most Wednesdays). It would be great to see you so just drop in and we’ll get the kettle on!

Long before wind farms dotted the British coastline and solar panels appeared on rooftops and fields, a Victorian engineer in Northumberland was already experimenting with a different kind of renewable energy. In the 1870s, William Armstrong became the first person to use hydropower to generate electricity, creating the world’s first smart home.

Despite its origins in England, hydropower today accounts for just 2.2% of the UK’s renewable energy sources. Meanwhile, countries such as Norway have built entire energy systems around it, relying on a source widely seen as more reliable and efficient than wind or solar power.

So why did hydropower never take off in the country where it was pioneered? Did England overlook one of its own innovations, or were there genuine reasons why hydropower never spread?

How hydropower was pioneered in England

In the mid-19th century, Britain’s industrial boom was powered almost entirely by coal - a fuel that many forward-thinking engineers already knew was finite. Among them was William Armstrong, an inventor and industrialist who asked himself a simple question: what would happen when coal eventually ran out?

His answer lay in water. After purchasing Cragside in 1863, a country house nestled among the hills of Northumberland, Armstrong began experimenting with the power of flowing water. What started with a turbine placed beneath a waterfall to generate electricity evolved into something far more ambitious. Over the following two decades, Armstrong transformed the surrounding landscape, creating reservoirs, dams and artificial lakes to channel water through the estate.

“He was definitely ahead of his time,” says Cragside’s Property Curator, Clara Woolford. “He saw water as an untapped source of energy.”

By 1879, Cragside had become the first house in the world powered by hydroelectricity. Water was directed more than 100 metres downhill to a powerhouse, where an electromagnetic dynamo converted its force into electricity. The power was then carried through cables to the house.

However, the technology pioneered at Cragside only plays a minor role in Britain’s energy system - raising an obvious question: if hydropower worked here in the 19th century, why didn’t it become a defining part of Britain’s energy future?

Why hydropower still stands out

Wind turbines and solar panels have become the symbols of the green transition. Yet when it comes to efficiency, reliability and longevity, hydropower remains hard to beat.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), hydropower has among the highest conversion efficiencies of any energy source, with modern plants converting around 90% of the energy in flowing water into electricity.

Because it is not dependent on weather conditions, hydropower is both more predictable and more controllable, allowing it to generate electricity more consistently. On top of that, hydroelectric infrastructure is built to last. Many schemes remain in operation for even more than a century. The Cwm Dyli Hydroelectric Power Station in Wales, for example, has been generating electricity continuously since 1906.

One of hydropower’s biggest advantages today is that it can not only generate electricity but also store it. That is possible due to so-called pumped-storage hydro schemes: When there is more wind or solar power than the grid needs, the excess electricity can be used to pump water uphill into a reservoir. When demand rises, the water can be released downhill again to generate electricity. In this way, hydropower can act like a giant natural battery, helping to balance the electricity grid.

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Present-Day in England

Given these advantages, it seems surprising that the technology never became a cornerstone of Britain’s energy system. But how much hydropower does England actually produce today?

Let’s first look at the UK as a whole, since it operates as a shared grid. All of the country’s hydropower schemes combined account for just about 2% of the country’s total renewable generating capacity. (Source: EIB Group, “The Future of Hydropower”.) This makes hydropower one of the UK’s smallest sources of renewable power.

In 2024, hydropower in the UK produced around 5,700 GWh (gigawatt-hour) of electricity, with more than half of this output used for grid balancing rather than direct consumption. By comparison, wind power generated around 15 times more electricity in the same period.

England’s role within this system is even more marginal: it holds less than 2.5% of the UK’s installed capacity. Most of the UK’s hydropower is generated in Scotland, which accounts for around 85% of the country’s hydropower resources.

What do the other countries do differently – and what could England replicate?

Norway leads the way in terms of the percentage share of its electricity mix, with around 90% of its power coming from hydropower. (Source: Website of United Nations) Approximately 1,800 hydroelectric plants produce about 157 TWh (terawatt-hours) of electricity each year, creating a stable and highly reliable electricity system. (Source: energy facts Norway) This allows the country to deliver relatively low-cost power while providing one of the lowest-carbon electricity supplies in the world. But why are countries such as Norway and Scotland able to generate so much more hydropower?

The reasons are manifold, but the most obvious one comes down to geography.

“If comparing Norway to England, Norway has much more mountainous terrain, with deep valleys and fjords creating the required elevation differences needed for hydropower operations, “ says Dr Richard Dallison, lecturer in environmental science at Bangor University. He teaches topics such as hydroclimatology and also conducts research on the role of hydropower in a changing climate.

“Head is a key part of the hydropower equation, alongside rainfall,” he explains.

It generates the streamflow that hydropower operations depend on to power the turbines. He points out that regions of England do receive a good amount of rainfall, “however, compared to Norway, it is lower. On top of that, Norway benefits from an abundance of natural lakes and large reservoirs, letting it capture and store water to release through its hydropower systems whenever it’s needed.”

Is it only the limiting factor of nature – or also political will?

“Geographical restrictions really are the primary constraint in the UK, I would say, although economic and environmental factors do play important roles too,” Dr Dallison states.

Compared to other renewables such as wind and solar, hydropower is comparatively expensive up-front. Dr Dallison attributes this partly to the nature of the technology itself: each system is “bespoke to the catchment it is placed in” and needs “large-scale engineering works, requiring large up-front investment” – something that “hinders development”. Wind turbines and solar panels, by contrast, “can be a little more off-the-shelf.” Although hydropower remains competitive over the full lifespan of a project, it “has not seen the same cost reductions” as wind and solar in recent decades.

But economics alone does not tell the full story. In essence, all renewables compete for the same government and private investment as well as grid connections. In the 2010s, feed-in tariffs (FiTs) were introduced with the aim of promoting the expansion of small-scale renewable energy sources, including hydropower, by paying a premium for each unit of electricity generated from renewable sources.

“This was good for small-scale hydro, with lots of new small-scale systems being installed,” Dallison adds. But when FiTs closed to new applications in 2019, the numbers of newly built small-scale hydropower schemes collapsed. Since then, there has been relatively little attention paid to hydropower, with solar and wind receiving stronger support.

Norway however recognised the potential of hydropower early – and acted on it. According to the digital web portal for the Government of Norway, Gunnar Knutsen - later Prime Minister - sent a famous letter to the parliament in 1892, laying out the industrial potential of hydroelectric power. By doing so, he initiated an important and long-term political effort to secure a role for the Norwegian state in the ongoing electrification of the country and ensure that the hydropower resources would benefit the nation as a whole.

Does England have significant untapped hydropower potential?

Norway appears to have got everything right. But does that mean England missed out? The numbers offer a revealing starting point.

The ‘UK Hydropower Resource Assessment 2022’ study by the University of Birmingham examined how many Mega Watts (MW) of hydroelectricity England has already developed and how much would theoretically be possible. I’m referring here to the lower limit, as that is the conservative estimate.

According to these figures, England has developed just 14% of its hydroelectric potential. However, even if England were to utilise all its capacity, it would only amount to 120 MW – which is very little. By comparison, Scotland has already developed 1,799 MW.

Dr Dallison offers a similar assessment: “There is certainly potential to generate more hydropower in England, but not in significant quantities, I would say. The main opportunities in England are for small-scale schemes, with the scope for large-scale expansion being limited.”

“Small-scale project”’ is the key phrase. According to Clara Woolford, curator of Cragside - the first house powered by hydroelectricity - this is exactly where England’s greatest potential lies. Even today, Cragside is still partly powered by hydroelectricity, using a modern Archimedes screw that converts the flow of water into electricity. “Technology has evolved so much,” she says. “There are hydroelectric power stations that are much smaller and require much less input to generate electricity that is both useful and meaningful.”

Current small-scale hydropower projects in England

Another example of small-scale hydropower is the River Bain Hydro project in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire – a community-owned project established in 2010 on the River Bain. The scheme also uses a reverse Archimedean screw to generate electricity, feeding it directly into the National Grid.

In a typical year, it produces enough to cover the electricity usage of 30 to 45 homes. The project is proud of its “role as an example of how to set up a community-led renewable energy scheme” and of its contribution to provide low-carbon electricity to the local area.

However, due to insufficient river flow, the project has faced real challenges. Over the last five years, it has produced just over half its original projection of 185,000 kWh per year. That’s a problem that “may also have been made worse by climate change”, says the group.

The project is also frank about its financial reality: schemes like River Bain “were only financially viable because of government intervention through the Feed-In Tariff structure” and “will only continue to be viable if some form of subsidy is continued”, the group adds.

Refer a friend

Hydropower - Only water under the bridge?

The group of the River Bain Hydro project agrees that “hydropower will remain a niche form of renewable energy in Britain. But niche does not mean irrelevant. Dr Dallison points to pumped-storage hydropower as an increasingly important piece of the puzzle. Energy storage will be a very important part of making sure that excess electricity generated by renewables at times of low demand can be stored until demand is higher,” he says.

Climate change, however, complicates the picture. Dr Dallison warns that hotter, drier summers and wetter winters are likely to increase the seasonality of rainfall – creating drought conditions that threaten smaller schemes, since they are more vulnerable to changing future streamflow patterns.

Clara Woolford sees this playing out already at Cragside. “We’re getting much wetter winters up here in the north-east of England – heavy downpours, lots of storms – and then in the summer we’re getting longer periods of drought.” Her instinct is that the answer lies not in hydropower alone but in combination. “It might be about using a combination of technologies – at certain points of the year you harness that increase in rainfall, and then other times you’re using wind and solar.”

Long-term plans are to be drawn up to reduce the impact of the historic Scott Trial on ancient woodland and archaeological remains in the Yorkshire Dales.

Richmond Motor Club is set to be given temporary planning permission allowing the motorcycle trial to be held this year while work takes place to draw up plans to mitigate potential damage caused by the event.

The Scott Trial sees around 200 riders tackle a challenging course of around 130km through Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.

The event, which will celebrate its centenary this year, attracts some of the best trials bike riders in the world.

Richmond Motor Club has handed out more than £230,000 to local charities and good causes since taking over the running of the trial in 1991.

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The majority of the route is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and passes through protected habitats, three areas of ancient semi-natural woodland and close to numerous archaeological features and scheduled monuments.

The motor club had initially sought either another five-year extension to its planning permission or consent for the event to continue permanently.

However, following discussions with officers from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, the application has been amended to provide temporary consent while work takes place on a full planning application aimed at securing the trial’s long-term future.

A report to members of the authority’s planning committee says a recent assessment identified 324 heritage assets within 100 metres of the route, including remains associated with historic lead mining, quarrying and prehistoric and Romano-British settlements.

Historic England has called for “micro-rerouting” wherever possible to avoid sensitive features including structural remains, earthworks and unstable spoil heaps.

Officers say a long-term conservation management plan should accompany any future application for permanent permission.

Concerns have also been raised about the route passing through Birk Park Wood, Arkle Beck Wood and Cuckoo Hill Wood.

Potential damage identified includes soil compaction and rutting, damage to exposed roots and low branches, collisions with trees and the impact of spectators and marshals.

Measures proposed include inspections before and after the event, marking the route every 20 to 30 metres to keep riders away from tree stems and using signs to keep spectators out of ancient woodland.

Officers say a longer-term woodland strategy should form part of any future application.

The authority also wants improved ecological monitoring, with previous measures including fencing sensitive habitats, briefing riders, marshalling and changing routes in subsequent years where damage occurs to allow habitats to recover.

Planning officer Ian Nesbit said in the report: “The applicant (through the agent for the application) has committed to actively engaging with officers of the authority to understand and to agree the various plans, surveys and assessments required for the validation of a new ‘full’ planning application, that if approved, would provide a permanent permission for the trial and look to achieve better, long-term ecological, archaeological and arboricultural outcomes than the current ‘five-year extension’ approach.”

Planning officers have recommended that temporary permission is granted for this year’s event while further work takes place on long-term mitigation measures.

The authority’s planning committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

Below we’ve picked out a few of the most eco of the events below thanks to several different readers getting in touch to flag what’s coming up. This is why The Northern Eco exists - to shine a light on local, environmental news and events so if you’ve something to highlight, you know what to do! (email sarah@thenortherneco.com)

The organisers say:

“As well as our main programme, which starts on Friday 18th September, we have some children’s events at local libraries during the school summer holiday on Wednesday 5th August.

“There are a wide range of walks across our area, many of them new to the Festival and, with many of them including added interest as we walk, there is sure to be something to suit everyone who loves the great outdoors.”

Here’s the selection suggested by our readers:

• Laurence Rose is a writer, conservationist and composer. He has worked for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds since 1983, and since 2017 has helped run a £7 million species recovery project, Back from the Brink. His latest book titled Windhover, the Kestrel, is a celebration of “ the extraordinary nature of ordinary nature”. The talk will be followed by a leisurely walk led by Laurence around nearby Scorton Lakes. Once a site of extensive quarrying, the area has been restored for nature and the enjoyment of bird watchers, nature lovers and leisure walkers. However it is threatened by a large building project around the lakes with loss of woodland and hedgerows. Tickets for either the walk or the talk at £7 each or for both at £10. In addition there is a combined ticket with the talk by Nic Wilson (interviewed by Laurence Rose) at The Station at 19:30 on Monday 21 September for £15 (a saving of £5) at 11am on Tuesday 22 September.

  

• Nic Wilson starts researching her local landscape which leads her into examining the influence of the natural world on her life. With nature facing more threats than ever before, her book Land Beneath the Waves inspires us to form a meaningful bond with our local natural spaces and landscapes, and a hopeful path towards a better future for human and non-human life. One of BBC Wildlife‘s books of the year.

• Two writers present their recent books on the importance of trees. Jonathan Mullard is an author, biologist and Britain’s first senior officer for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. His book Forgotten Forests draws on the latest scientific understanding of our natural history to illuminate twelve thousand years of British and Irish woodlands. Jules Acton lives and breathes trees. She works for the Woodland Trust and her book Oaklore is a clarion call to care for the few remaining ancient woodlands remaining in the UK. She also explores the incredibly diverse history of the oak tree.

  

• Adam Weymouth follows the route taken by a Lone Wolf from Slovenia to Northern Italy where he crossed paths with a female wolf in a region that has been without wolves for a century. Now a decade later, more than a hundred wolves are back in the area. Adam examines changes facing these wild corners of Europe where re-wilding meets cultural preservation and climate change is reshaping lives.

• The Richmond Walking & Book Festival takes place this year from 18^th to the 27^th September. Check the website www.booksandboots.org for details of events and tickets.

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Good morning! I’m Sarah Hartley with your usual Tuesday edition of The Northern Eco. As you’ve received this newsletter then either you subscribed, or someone forwarded it to you. If the latter, then you can click on this handy little button below.

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After the excitement of our launch of the eco refills shop in North Yorkshire last week, we’re taking our gaze slightly further north today with a special initiative for our County Durham readers. But, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten those of you further north - our hat-trick of post holiday special initiatives concludes next week with an in-depth report from Northumberland.

Before we get to all that - have you ever considered that you should use MORE electricity to live greener? Sounds counterintuitive maybe but, as its the last Tuesday of the month, our carbon expert Tom Bray is here to start the day and explains more about that idea. You might find it controversial but we’d love to hear from you, whether you agree or not!

Elsewhere we’ve news including:

• What the advertising watchdog told local Greens

• The latest on the nurdle disaster

• A new biodiversity habitat bank launches

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We need to use MORE electricity by Tom Bray

You might expect an article from an eco-activist to be asking you to cut your energy use, use less, turn down, switch off. That has been the conversation in eco-campaigns for many years, including some campaigns that I have run. But, my perspective has changed, and I think we all could begin to change how we think about energy, and particularly, electricity.

In 2026, the electricity grid is increasingly clean. Over the last year, renewables have generated over 40% of our electricity, with fossil fuels, now mainly gas, generating less than 30%. We are well on the way to achieving a clean power system. Those campaigns for us to use less electricity tended to be because electricity was dirty, but it isn’t anymore.

But if you read some media outlets, and listen to some politicians, you will hear that this clean electricity is causing high prices. The truth is a bit more nuanced than that, so let me briefly try to explain.

Electricity prices have been higher for the last three years than they have been since we started selling electricity, this is because of multiple things happening at the same time:

• Global conflict in Ukraine in 2022, and then Iran this year, has provoked a sustained increase in costs for fossil fuels

• Although we use much less fossil fuels to generate electricity than we used to, our pricing system still relies on the electricity generator who supplies the last bit of electricity, over 90% of the time this tends to be gas power stations. High global prices for gas = high UK prices for electricity

• We also use less electricity today than we did 20 years ago. This is due to efficiency of lighting, white goods, fans and motors, and the de-industrialisation of much of our economy; we have lost lots of high demand manufacturing that used to use a lot of electricity. Efficiency and de-industrialisation means we have reduced electricity demand. Because we use less electricity, the fixed costs of running an electricity grid are spread over a smaller amount of electricity. Which means those costs are higher for every unit we use

• And, here is the argument some people make: renewable energy is variable, we need to have traditional generators ready to go for when the wind stops blowing or the sun shines, and this costs money. We need to enhance grid infrastructure in locations where we install renewable energy to get it to where we need it, this costs money. And until that grid infrastructure is upgraded, we sometimes need to pay generators to switch off because the grid can’t take the power they could generate, this costs money

So for a number of reasons, today, our electricity costs are expensive.

There isn’t necessarily a quick solution to any of these problems, our pricing system could be changed, but that wouldn’t happen overnight, and there are arguments to keep it as it is. Fossil fuel markets are volatile, a change to global conflict could see prices drop, or could see prices rise even further. And upgrading the grid to take advantage of low cost renewable energy is a set of projects already underway, but will take time to complete.

So that’s the issue, electricity is clean, so we should move to electric technology like EVs and heat pumps, but electricity is expensive, which disincentivises us to switch. Are you still with me?

In the future, electricity will be cheaper, and you can help make that happen.

As we use more electricity, part of our bills (the fixed costs that we need to run and upgrade the grid) get spread over a bigger volume. A bit like shopping wholesale, if you buy bulk, you tend to get a discount. As electricity demand increases around the UK, costs for electricity are likely to go down, which could incentivise more electricity demand, which could bring costs down further.

High costs today might make switching to an EV or a heat pump less attractive, but as you switch, and as 100,000s of others switch too, we will start to use more electricity, we start to spread fixed costs over more volume, we buy more in bulk.

And crucially, we start to use less fossil fuel. We are switching from dirty energy, to clean energy, from oil and gas, to clean electricity.

The issue causing climate change, and keeping our costs high, isn’t that we’re using too much electricity, or that we are using renewable energy. It’s that we’re using too much fossil fuel energy, and using a bit more electricity could help reduce the risk of climate change, and bring costs down in the process.

So whether that means switching to an electric vehicle or a heat pump, or using an induction hob, electric oven, or air fryer, using electricity rather than using gas or petrol, in whatever way you can, I would encourage you to do so. And in the future, clean electricity, and lots of it, will mean lower prices for all of us.

The energy transition isn’t really about using less energy. It’s about replacing inefficient fossil-fuel energy with abundant, efficient, increasingly cheap electricity.

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From our website

✍️ Live in County Durham? Want to learn media skills?

As part of our ongoing collaboration with the South West Durham News, we’re part of a six week initiative to equip local people with media skills. Whether it’s taking photos, writing stories, making videos, podcasting or social media - the stories of your local area need to be shared. So, if you’re based in the SWDN area (towns/villages near Bishop Auckland, Ferryhill, Shildon or Spennymoor) this opportunity to share what’s great in your area is for you. Sign up here to register your interest in our free six-week Community Reporter workshops, scheduled to launch on Saturday 12 September 2026. To express an interest, please do complete the form and, if you’ve any questions, drop me me an email via Sarah@swd.news.

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In other news

💦 The quote above was taken from from a beautiful spread on rivers. Photographer Yan Wang Preston was commissioned by the Financial Times Weekend magazine for the images, also accompanied by a lengthy report on the state of the water companies. Well worth a look and can be accessed here.

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🚢 The impact from last week’s environmental disaster on the North East coast is now showing up over a larger area, reports Amelia Anderson at The Northern Echo. Nurdles have now washed up on County Durham shores after one billion plastic pellets are believed to have spilled into the River Tyne following a crash between two vessels. The incident was triggered when the Wind Orca vessel struck the berthed container ship BG Orange, causing a dockside gantry crane to collapse at the Port of Tyne on Sunday, July 19. The Friends of the Earth petition urging government help in this clean up is here.

🌿 A new biodiversity habitat bank has launched in the Lake District to help restore 13 hectares of hay meadows. The pilot scheme is a mutual partnership between the Lake District National Park Authority and the Lowther Estate, near Penrith, reports CumbriaCrack.

🗑️ Fly-tippers will be forced to clean up our communities and pay the costs of clearing up their mess under government plans for ‘clean up squads’. [Defra Press Release]

🚜 The growing importance of healthy soils in modern farming is being highlighted in a new report which explores how landowners, farmers and valuers can better understand and measure one of agriculture’s most valuable assets, reports Gavin Engelbrecht at the D&S.

🤖 James Robinson at ChronicleLive writes about new plans for a third Northumberland data centre that could take two years to build.

💦 Yorkshire Water has defended its record on improving water quality in the River Swale after campaigners accused the company of failing to move quickly enough to protect swimmers from sewage pollution, reports Patrick Gouldsbrough at The Northern Echo.

• That’s it for now but, don’t forget, there’s plenty of stories you can browse on our website and via social media.

• Stay-tuned for a special report from Northumberland coming up for you next Tuesday.

• Plus if you’re in County Durham, we’ll be back at our community newsroom based in the Artists’ Hub at Bishop Auckland from 10-3pm tomorrow (and most Wednesdays). It would be great to see you so just drop in and we’ll get the kettle on!

The advertising watchdog has announced it won’t be taking any further action against power station Drax in connection with a challenge from local Greens. The decision came after North Yorkshire Green Party asked the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to investigate zero-carbon claims in June.

But the ASA ruled that much of the complaint was out of scope as the claims were not technically ‘advertisements’.

In its response, the ASA pointed out:

“The scope of the CAP Code in relation to online material is carefully worded to ensure that it only applies to content that can be properly considered to be advertising. That is, material which is directly connected with the supply of goods, services, opportunities or gifts, or which consists of a direct solicitation of donations.”

The ASA also said business readers would understand that burning biomass produces CO₂.

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Although disappointed by the news, the North Yorkshire Green Party said it would keep asking tough questions when climate-friendly claims were used in big decisions about North Yorkshire’s future.

Cllr David Noland, speaking for the North Yorkshire Green Group, said:

“The ASA believes a business audience will understand that burning biomass produces CO₂. But when we see headlines about a ‘carbon-negative’ data centre at Drax, it’s hard not to think that these claims are being taken at face value.

“We want decisions about North Yorkshire today to set up the next generation - with good jobs, strong businesses and a healthier environment. The information around big decisions needs to be clear and honest: we don’t want to lock future generations into the wrong energy choices based on a misunderstanding.”

The North Yorkshire Green Party says these kind of decisions have an impact on North Yorkshire’s future - because major decisions are already being made around Drax. The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has submitted a bid to Government for an AI Growth Zone centred on Drax in Selby, with Mayor David Skaith quoted saying it would be potentially the “world’s first carbon-negative data centre”.

Cllr Noland continued: “We didn’t get the ASA decision we wanted, but we don’t regret asking the question. We’d rather ask difficult questions now, rather than wishing we’d asked them later.”

The North Yorkshire Green Party is calling for greater transparency about the environmental evidence behind major developments associated with Drax, including the proposed AI Growth Zone.

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Fed up of plastic waste filling up your recycling bin? Or maybe you want to find natural options for your household everyday products? You’re not alone!

Plastic waste, microplastics and the prevalence of so-called ‘everywhere’ chemicals are driving many people to take action on their regular shopping baskets which is why we’ve launched this new doorstep delivery service.

A little background….

Reducing waste was the motivation that first prompted Sally Williams to set up the refills service So Sew Eco back in 2023. Regular readers might remember we featured her in one of our early articles: Sally Williams - refill delivery entrepreneur.

I signed up as a customer at the time and have been impressed by quality of the products along with the convenience of never having to struggle back from the shops with bulky, boring essentials like washing-up liquid!

So when Sally made the decision to move on from her business earlier in the summer, I wondered if we could sort something out? The business is so well-aligned to the values of The Northern Eco in acting locally in face of global challenges it seemed like a perfect fit. So a few weeks on and here we are! The Northern Eco refillables shop is now open for doorstep deliveries in parts of North Yorkshire.

What’s on offer

We have a collection of planet friendly, zero waste and natural everyday alternatives for you, your loved ones and your home. We’re starting small with a selection of essentials such as hand wash, surface cleaner and bubble bath. All of our products are biodegradable, vegan, cruelty free and paraben free

The intention is to grow the selection over time so there’s also some pre-order items to understand demand. Operating a retail business is a whole new adventure for someone who’s spent their entire career in the news industry and every day is turning into a learning day!

How does it work?

The map below shows the delivery areas we can service with a doorstep delivery on a Friday split into different zones.

To place your order:

1. Which zone are you in? If Zones 2 or 3 please add the relevant delivery charge to your basket here.

2. If this is your first time purchasing refills, please add the once only bottle charge to your cart. The £5 Deposit enables us to be able to keep the glass bottles in circulation. Only one deposit required, regardless of how big or small your order is.

   If you decide to no longer order from us , this deposit will be refunded once the bottles are returned.

3. Pick your selection of eco friendly household essentials from the shop.

4. I’ll drop your order to your home on the following Friday and collect your empties. You don’t need to be in, think of it like the eco milk round!

I hope you’ll find this a simple to use way to cut down on the plastic waste in your life while also supporting your local independent eco news provider!

• Visit the shop here

• Sign up for the NEW delivery newsletter. (Please note: This is entirely separate to the eco newsletter you are subscribed to here and is only for delivery announcements.)

  Leave a comment

How this works:

1. Which zone are you in? If Zones 2 or 3 please add the relevant delivery charge to your basket here.

2. If this is your first time purchasing refills, please add the once only bottle charge to your cart. The £5 Deposit enables us to be able to keep the glass bottles in circulation. Only one deposit required, regardless of how big or small your order is.

   If you decide to no longer order from us , this deposit will be refunded once the bottles are returned.

3. Pick your selection of eco friendly household essentials from the shop.

4. I’ll drop your order to your home on the following Friday. Thanks!

Zone 1

Minimum order £10

Free delivery

Leyburn

Middleham

Bedale

Richmond

Masham

West Tanfield

Zone 2

Minimum order £10

Delivery charge £2.50

Northallerton
Castle Bolton
Aysgarth
Reeth

Zone 3

Minimum order £10

Delivery charge £5

Redmire

Hawes

Thwaite

Muker

Keld

• Sign up for the NEW delivery newsletter. (Please note: This is entirely separate to the eco newsletter you are subscribed to here and is only for delivery announcements.)

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It’s been two weeks - did you miss your weekly eco update? Have no fear, we didn’t waste the time frying on a beach! After a rail trip to the amazing city of Rotterdam for a few days (including visiting the famous Floating Farm) we’ve been hard at work on some investigative work of the sort we don’t always get the time to do as well as building up some new initiatives.

And the first of those initiatives launches today! We’ve something special for our North Yorkshire based readers - a doorstep delivery service for eco refills and planet friendly products. But don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about those of you further north and have an entirely different new initiative to bring you next week.

Plus the news agenda never really stops, even in the ‘silly season’, so there’s plenty to catch up on from right across the region. Thanks for being here!

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The Northern Eco launches a doorstep delivery service

Fed up of plastic waste filling up your recycling bin? Or maybe you want to find natural options for your household everyday products? You’re not alone!

Plastic waste, micro-plastics and the prevalence of everywhere and forever chemicals are driving many people to take action on their regular shopping baskets and so we’ve launched this new doorstep delivery service in parts of North Yorkshire to help.

A little background….

Reducing plastic waste was the motivation that first prompted Sally Williams to set up a refills service called Sew So Eco back in 2023. Regular readers might remember we featured her in one of our early articles: Sally Williams - refill delivery entrepreneur.

I signed up as a customer at the time and have been impressed by quality of the products along with the convenience of never having to struggle back from the shops with bulky, boring essentials like washing-up liquid.

A couple of months ago Sally made the decision to move on from her business and I wondered if we could sort something out. After all, the idea is so well-aligned to the values of The Northern Eco in acting locally in face of global challenges it seemed a perfect fit. A few weeks on and here we are - The Northern Eco refillables shop is now open for doorstep deliveries.

Posting a farewell, Sally said: “We’re thrilled to see another delivery service offering refills and helping us move away from single-use plastic.

”We wish Sarah all the very best as she takes on the battle against plastic - and we hope you’ll give her your support!”

What’s on offer

We have a collection of planet friendly, zero waste and natural everyday alternatives for you, your loved ones and your home. We’re starting small with a selection of essentials such as hand wash, surface cleaner and bubble bath. All of our products are biodegradable, vegan, cruelty free and parabens free

The intention is to grow the selection over time so there’s also some pre-order items available so I can better understand demand. Operating a retail business is a whole new adventure for me - as someone who’s spent their entire career in the news industry, every day is turning into a learning day!

Share

How does it work?

The map below shows the delivery areas we can service with a doorstep delivery on a Friday split into different zones.

To place your order:

1. Which zone are you in? If Zones 2 or 3 please add the relevant delivery charge to your basket here.

2. If this is your first time purchasing refills, please add the once-only bottle charge to your cart. The £5 Deposit enables us to be able to keep the glass bottles in circulation. Only one deposit required, regardless of how big or small your order is. If you decide to no longer order from us , this deposit will be refunded once the bottles are returned.

3. Pick your selection of eco friendly household essentials from the shop.

4. I’ll drop your order to your home on the following Friday and collect your empties. You don’t need to be in, think of it like the eco milk round!

I hope you’ll find this a simple, useful way to cut down on the plastic waste in your life while also supporting your local independent eco news provider.

• Visit the shop here.

• Sign up for the NEW delivery newsletter. (Please note: This is entirely separate to this Tuesday eco newsletter you are subscribed to here and is only for refill delivery announcements.)

• If you want to read more about everywhere, and forever, chemicals, I can recommend this well-researched long read by Kenza Bryan at the FT Weekend.

  Leave a comment

  ---

Some of what we missed…..

A selection of the stories that happened over the past two weeks.

🚢 On beaches from Cambois in Northumberland to Seaburn on Wearside, up to 25 tonnes of plastic pollution has washed up. The horrific environmental disaster off the north east coast will be continuing for many months (or years?) and I echo Brian Aitken at Eyes and Ears’ frustration at the lack of the scrutiny and official action to date. He points out where action to prevent anything similar happening in future should start:

We’ll join the attempts to find out more in the coming weeks and months but in the meantime, we can all support the thousands of people signing this petition from Friends of the Earth(FoE) calling on the government to step up and take action. FoE says:

“Thousands of volunteers, including our local action groups, are desperately trying to clean the beaches and reduce the impact on wildlife. But the official response has been far too slow, while every tide washes more into the sea, making it harder to clean up. Please tell the government to coordinate an emergency response. And hold companies accountable for every penny of environmental recovery.”

SIGN THE PETITION HERE.

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💦 I was sorry to miss the recent event organised by the Ilkley Clean River group where Yorkshire Mayors responded to the Channel 4 docu-drama on the water industry, Dirty Business, and launched their Campaign For Water. Two Mayors - Tracy Brabin West Yorkshire and Oliver Coppard South Yorkshire - took part, although North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith was unable to attend. His office pointed me to previous statements on the issue such as this: “Yorkshire Water has let down Yorkshire’s residents, saddling the company with debt and leaving it with crumbling infrastructure, all while paying out to its shareholders.”

Following the event, Ilkley Clean River is looking for support via this petition and has organised two briefings for MPs in September. The group says the petition is to force MPs and the Government to discuss how to secure public voice in the decision about water. The debate is on the 14th September at Westminster Hall from 4.30pm.

🌳 We’re seeing a new source of friction across the region’s wild spaces coming through this summer in the shape of pop-up campsites. With wild camping being frowned upon given the fire risks, pop-up campsites have recently, erm, popped up, in both the Lake District and Richmondshire causing concern for those communities. In the Lakes, campaigner Sarah Wilson has started a petition to close a loophole in the planning system. She explains:

However, in North Yorkshire, the county council has stepped in to block a pop-up campsite operating on land earmarked for a controversial holiday park near the banks of the River Swale.

A temporary stop notice to prevent the campsite running was issued after the St Nicholas Estate in Richmond advised North Yorkshire Council of plans to run the pop-up site on the two fields, reports Local Democracy Reporter Joe Willis.

Estate owner Nick Green sought to use permitted development rights to operate the site between August 1 and 15 and August 18 and 31, with a maximum of 50 pitches across both fields. The notice runs until September 25.

🪶 The RaptorPersecutionUK blog reports on a recent British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) conference where new research was presented suggesting that there are around 400 Hen Harrier ‘persecution events’ across different life stages (e.g. nest, adult, 1yr and 2yr old birds) and that only 0.5 – 10% are detected.

💨 The latest moves on the plans for a massive wind farm on the North Yorkshire/County Durham border were covered for us during the break by Local Democracy Reporter Joe Willis. You can keep up with what’s happening there at our dedicated Hope Moor Wind Farm section.

🌌 If the excitement of waving a colander at the eclipse last week has got you staring at the heavens, then this news that a train ride to the stars is among almost 30 events is for you. Sam Wonfor at Cultured.NorthEast reports that the 10th North Pennines Stargazing Festival runs between Friday October 16 and November 1 and is being organised by the North Pennines National Landscape with expert astronomer guides to help visitors enjoy the dark night skies of the area.

🌟 And finally some stars of a different type! Every time I go past this iconic landmark Grade II listed AA Box 442 in Wensleydale I wonder what is to become of it. So it was great read that a group of Yorkshire Dales National Park volunteers have teamed up to carry out conservation work around this rare surviving AA roadside call box.

• That’s it for now but, don’t forget, there’s plenty of stories you can browse on our website and via social media.

• Stay-tuned for a special report from carbon expert Tom Bray coming up for you next Tuesday.

• Plus if you’re in County Durham, we’ll be back at our community newsroom based in the Artists’ Hub at Bishop Auckland from 10-3pm next Wednesday, August 26 (and most Wednesdays). It would be great to see you so just drop in and we’ll get the kettle on!

It wasn’t quite what I expected! Having seen the Floating Farm, like many thousands of others on the Clarkson’s Farm programmes, I’d expected it to be a major tourist trap by now. But no, there were no gift shops of merch, no deadly-dull video presentations, no guided trips - in fact nothing but a small herd of cows and a volunteer making coffee.

As refreshingly real as that experience maybe, the news out in this week’s Dairy Reporter (DR) points towards a wider issue impacting the innovative showcase of food produced sustainably in densely populated cities.

DR’s Harry Holmes reports that the farm is being sold after regulatory hurdles, infrastructure challenges and uncertainty over its future location leave the founders unable to continue.

So it may turn out that my holiday trip there will turn out to be a more unique experience than I expected.

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About the farm

For those unfamiliar with the idea, the Floating Farm is literally as it sounds - a structure in the waters of Europe’s massive commercial port, Rotterdam.

It’s the world’s first floating dairy farm designed as a climate-resilient solution for urban agriculture and currently home to about 40 dairy cows.

The three-level pontoon platform rises and falls automatically with the ocean tides and is an example of a closed-loop circular model - roughly 80% of the cows’ feed made from recycled local urban food waste, including brewer’s spent grain, potato scraps, and grass clippings from Rotterdam’s football pitches and golf courses.

Along with the food waste, floating solar panels supply up to 90% of the farm’s electricity, while rainwater is captured from the roof, purified, and used for cow drinking water.

And let’s not forget the robots - they’re part of the reason the site was so empty of people I presume - automated manure robots collect waste which is separated and processed onsite into dry fertiliser pellets for city parks and gardens.

Somewhere among those platforms, the raw dairy is reportedly processed to produce roughly 600 litres of high-protein milk, yoghurt, and cheese per day for local consumers.

While there will undoubtedly be many reading this thinking that the easiest way to make dairy sustainable for the future is not to have any dairy production in the future, this farm, founded by Peter and Minke van Wingerden, in 2019 showcases how high-tech agriculture can operate directly inside land-scarce cities.

About my trip

I took a Eurostar to Rotterdam, not simply to see this farm, but for a city break in the buzzy, cultural Netherlands place that isn’t Amsterdam! Second cities often have a special charm of their own, living as they do in the shadow of their ‘look at me’ siblings and we were looking for a summer break without the southern Europe heat.

So the opportunity of the farm visit was more of an added extra than the reason for the foreign rail jaunt. It was easy to locate this farm in the bustling city - well marked on maps and near a cheap, cheap tram stop near the neighbouring Ferry port.

The first thing that struck us was the quiet of the location. From the entrance a sign post to a ‘presentation room’ sounded like a good place for a visitor to start and took us to an empty room with some chairs laid out.

We could see some cows and a couple of people sitting outside drinking coffee - maybe that was the entrance? Inside a young woman selling cups of Illy and a small selection of cheese.

“Did you know this place has become famous on TV?” I asked as she whipped up the capuccinos, “Have you had many visitors?”

“Ah yes” she replied, “there has been something on German TV and sometimes people come in mentioning that.” (Perhaps Jeremy Clarkson may not have been quite the hit here that Amazon hoped for!)

As we took our coffees, I noticed a sign on the wall in Dutch and English, looking for volunteers to greet groups, host presentations and take people around the site. I wonder whether that will happen now the site is up for sale……

What next for the farm?

The farm wrote on its social media this week: “After years of demonstrating what is possible with sustainable urban farming, we are offering our unique and iconic Floating Farm for sale as we prepare for the next chapter of our journey.

”Since its launch, Floating Farm has welcomed thousands of visitors, researchers and entrepreneurs from around the world, while gaining extensive international media attention and publicity.

”As we look ahead, it’s time to build and launch our 2027 version – bringing together everything we’ve learned and developed over more than a decade of pioneering circular urban farming.”

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The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) has warned that the proposed Hope Moor Wind Farm could have significant and far-reaching impacts on the landscape, wildlife and tranquillity of the area.

The authority says developer Fred. Olsen Renewables has failed to properly assess the likely effects of the development on the national park and has “unduly scoped out” several key issues from further study.

The Norwegian developer is preparing plans for 23 wind turbines on moorland between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale.

The company says the project would provide much-needed renewable electricity and contribute to the UK’s net zero ambitions.

But while the area of the proposed wind farm lies outside the northern boundary of the national park, YDNPA said in its response to the project’s environmental impact assessment scoping consultation that the proposed 20km study area was too limited.

It said it should be extended to at least 45km to capture long-distance views from iconic locations such as Whernside, Ingleborough and Great Shunner Fell, as well as cumulative impacts alongside other proposed wind farms.

It argued that the development was likely to have significant adverse effects on many of the national park’s special qualities, including its tranquillity, remoteness, solitude, expansive views and natural soundscape.

The authority said: “The experiential qualities of tranquillity, remoteness and solitude are likely to be acutely affected by the proposed development.”

Dark Sky Reserve

YDNPA also raised concerns about the impact of turbine lighting on the Yorkshire Dales’ internationally recognised Dark Sky Reserve.

It says dark skies deserve a dedicated chapter in the environmental statement rather than being treated simply as part of the landscape assessment.

It recommends a wider assessment area of up to 45km and warns lighting could affect wildlife, visitors’ enjoyment of the night sky and the reserve’s internationally recognised status.

The authority is also critical of the treatment of archaeology and heritage.

It says the assessment should not be limited to the application site because Swaledale and Arkengarthdale contain nationally important prehistoric landscapes and historic mining remains whose settings could be significantly affected.

It also objects to plans to exclude the Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Barns and Walls Conservation Area from detailed assessment.

It says the assessment must examine potential impacts on blanket bog, birds, bats, reptiles and invertebrates, including cross-boundary effects on habitats within the national park. It also calls for the cumulative impact of Hope Moor alongside other renewable energy schemes to be assessed.

The authority rejects the developer’s proposal to exclude socio-economic impacts from the assessment.

It adds in its response: “The YDNPA disagrees with the stated intention within the scoping report to scope out the socio-economic impacts of the proposed development.

“The significant effects of the proposed development on the landscape and the experiential special qualities of the national park are likely to have significant knock-on effects with regards to tourism/recreation, impacting visitor numbers and the local economy.”

Fred. Olsen has said it welcomes the feedback received through the scoping process.

The company says the development could generate enough renewable energy to power around 135,000 homes and businesses.

The Planning Inspectorate has said it rejects the developers’ requests not to include some assessments of the impact of the wind farm but has agreed with other proposals by the developer on what to include in an environmental impact assessment.

The Inspectorate also rejected the developer’s proposal to exclude assessments of some landscapes beyond 20km.

Alan Hinkes OBE says that while he recognises the importance of tackling climate change and securing future energy supplies, he believes remote moorland on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales is the wrong location for a development of this scale.

Norwegian company Fred. Olsen Renewables is preparing plans for 23 wind turbines, each more than 200m high, on moorland between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale.

The company says the project would provide enough renewable electricity to power around 135,000 homes and contribute to the UK’s net zero ambitions.

Mr Hinkes, from Northallerton, became the first Briton to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks.

The mountaineer argues that the environmental costs of the scheme must be carefully considered.

“These are not wind farms. They are major power stations,” he said.

“The scale of the infrastructure, including roads, foundations and grid connections, would permanently alter one of England’s finest landscapes.”

He also questioned whether disturbing extensive peatland could undermine some of the project’s environmental benefits.

“Peat is one of our most important natural carbon stores. If reducing carbon emissions is the objective, then we should not be excavating significant areas of peat and releasing carbon to build industrial infrastructure.”

Mr Hinkes also highlighted practical concerns over the site’s proximity to established military low-flying training routes used by the Royal Air Force, United States Air Force and other NATO aircraft.

“It is difficult to see how structures 600 feet in height can coexist with long-established low-flying operations.”

While acknowledging the role renewable energy has to play, Mr Hinkes believes large-scale developments should be located where they have less impact on nationally important landscapes.

“If we need major energy infrastructure, then we should be asking whether there are more appropriate locations closer to the country’s largest centres of population or within more industrialised areas, rather than on the edge of one of Britain’s most celebrated landscapes.”

The Hope Moor proposal has attracted opposition from local residents, parish councils and campaign groups, who argue it would industrialise the moorland.

Developers maintain the project would generate significant renewable energy while helping meet national climate targets.

Mr Hinkes believes the debate should not be framed as being for or against renewable energy, but about ensuring that the transition to low-carbon power is achieved without sacrificing landscapes of exceptional national value.

“There is a balance to be struck. We need renewable energy, but we also have a responsibility to protect the landscapes that define this country. Once they are changed on this scale, they cannot easily be restored.”

“This is not an argument against renewable energy. It is an argument for placing major infrastructure where it delivers the greatest public benefit with the least environmental harm.

“The Yorkshire Dales and its surrounding landscapes are among Britain’s greatest national countryside assets. Once the landscape is industrialised, it cannot simply be returned to what it was. Once it is gone, it’s gone forever.”

Mr Hinkes has become an ambassador for the Hope Moor Action Group.

Suzy Wilson, spokesperson for the group, said: “We are thrilled that Alan has agreed to lend us his full support to our campaign.

“Alan is one of a very select group of mountaineers who have summitted the eight highest mountains on earth including Everest and K2.

“Alan has seen first hand the impact of global warming, but has stated unequivocally that the Hope Moor Energy Park is the right development in the wrong place.”

Cricket legend Ian Botham and the Duke of Norfolk, Britain’s most senior peer, have already backed the campaign.

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As it’s the last Tuesday of the month we’ve our regular column from carbon expert Tom Bray to kick things off. He’s looking forward to the new type of home solar - plug-ins.

🎂 But we’re also celebrating here as this week means - we are three! Yes, August 1 marks three years of this newsletter. It’s been quite a journey, both personally and professionally, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for coming on the ride! When I started this it was a conscious decision to go back to the journalism profession I trained for and never fell out of love with. I felt I could make a difference on a topic too often ignored by concentrating on covering environment issues locally.

522 articles later, an expanded team, two major awards and our community newsroom Wednesdays later - how have do you feel we’ve done? That’s something I’d love to hear from you about as we plan, adapt and refresh for the future.

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For my part I feel there’s plenty more still to do and so I’m taking a break now the ‘silly season’ is here to recharge as well as plan some new initiatives for you. I look forward to catching up with you then, but for now, please enjoy Tom’s column along with the rest of the eco news from across the North East and North Yorkshire.

The plug-in revolution begins in August

By Tom Bray

Over the last week or so, you may have missed an update to the regulations governing plugs and sockets. If you did, don’t worry, there is a lot going on in the news at the moment, I am sure you will be pleased to know that I was watching closely…

Through a statutory instrument laid before parliament, on the 17th of July the government has made changes to The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026 that now permit the use of ‘plug-in’ solar panels. This small change to the regulations, looks like a minor technical update to electrical safety regulation. In reality, it could mark a big change in how ordinary households think about energy and make the benefits of low carbon technology more accessible for people across the country.

As of the 27th of August, you will be able to purchase a small set of solar panels, connected to a micro inverter and a three pin plug, that would connect directly to a plug socket at home, generating electricity that you will be able to use at home.

Electricity flowing into your home

Electricity flowing back into your home, through a plug, to help power your home, rather than flowing out of a plug socket to power something in your home.

You might think this is dangerous, a system generating electricity risks electrocution right? Well the technology in plug-in kits, including certified micro-inverters, and anti-islanding protection that switches the system off if the grid, and therefore the plug socket, loses power. This means that the three pin plug on the end of the solar panel system, would not be ‘live’ when it isn’t connected to the mains. Changes in regulations doesn’t reduce safety standards, but helps create a route for products meeting those standards to be sold.

When solar kits start being stocked in shops around the UK, it might mean adding a plug-in system to your trolley during a big shop at Lidl, heading to B&Q, Wickes, or Screwfix to pick up a kit, or ordering online to be delivered to your door. For about £400 you would be able to buy up to 800 watts of solar panels to help reduce costs at home. Depending on where you live, and where you install the panels (which could be on the ground, hung from a wall or balcony, or on a shed roof), this small system could generate around 600-700 kWh of electricity each year, which could reduce your costs at home by £100-150 a year, and reduce emissions linked to your electricity use by almost 100 kgCO2 each year.

We would be limited to a plug-in system of 800 watts, and at this size, we won’t be generating anywhere near as much electricity as most of us use. Just covering a portion of our day time electricity use, not eliminating our bills completely. We could see them as supplementing our electricity use, taking a step forward to reducing reliance on grid electricity. For many, an 800 watt system would generate only 20-25% of your annual electricity demand (‘every little helps’ - I wonder if Tesco will sell them too…)

This kind of system is much smaller than many roof mounted systems you might have seen neighbours install, and therefore much cheaper, with fewer benefits. But the lower cost and the simplicity of installation, will mean people that may have thought solar panels were out of reach, can now benefit from low carbon technology. Renters who didn’t want to invest in their landlord’s property can now buy a plug-in kit and take it with them if they ever left that rental property. People in flats without their own roof space could hang a system from a balcony and benefit from electricity generated locally. And homeowners without a suitable roof, could buy a system and generate some electricity on the ground.

Access to low carbon technology like this could mean the democratisation of renewable energy, thousands of households experiencing a low carbon future, by picking up a couple of solar panels when they are out shopping and bringing them home in a car boot.

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There may be times when the panels generate slightly more electricity than you can use in that moment, this will spill over to the grid and help power your neighbours. For most people, this will happen without being able to sell that exported electricity. Although the limited size will mean most of what is generated could be used at home, particularly if you are able to shift when you use electricity to sunny times.

Although these systems are new to the UK, there are several countries where ‘balcony solar’ has been available for several years, in Germany for example, there are reportedly over 1 million plug-in solar systems around the country.

The changes to these regulations are part of several things that the government is doing to help reduce costs for energy at home, this includes changes to levies on bills, and removal of VAT on electricity. Reducing the cost of electricity will benefit all of us, and will help make the wider move to electrified lives more attractive. Lower cost electricity will help make heat pumps cheaper to run, electric vehicles cheaper to charge, induction hobs cheaper to power.

And plug-in solar panels are part of that story, generating low cost electricity to power our lives, and power other low carbon technology, that makes the energy transition more affordable for many.

For decades, generating electricity has largely been something done by power stations and, more recently, homeowners fortunate enough to have a suitable roof and several thousand pounds to invest. Plug-in solar lowers that barrier dramatically. It turns electricity generation into something that could become an everyday household purchase rather than a major home improvement project.

If you bump into me at the supermarket on the 27th of August, you may see me with a trolley with some solar panels in it, join the queue!

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On our website

💦 Read my full report about the dangerously high levels of the bacterium which causes Legionnaire’s disease were found at Hawes in North Yorkshire when a comparison study for Stop Ure Pollution (SUP) was carried out on the Rivers Ure, Wye and Thames recently.

💨 Campaigners opposing the proposed Hope Moor Wind Farm launched an appeal to fund expert help to fight the scheme and have already raised more than £2,000. Full report here.

In other news

☀️ Graeme Anderson at the Climate Post brings us this positive solar news from beekeepers who say new panels will help power their growing education hub. The electricity now available at the Denes Apiary means they finally have access to hot water, lighting and heating.

☀️A huge new solar panel system has been installed at Teesport as part of efforts to reduce the port’s carbon footprint, reports Freya Cain-Metcalf at The Northern Echo.The 675kW scheme has been fitted to the roof of the largest warehouse at Tees Bulks Quay and includes around 2,000 solar panels.

☀️ A decision on plans for a controversial new solar farm and battery energy storage plant near a Knaresborough village has been put off, writes Graham Chalmers of the Harrogate Advertiser. Objectors feared impact on wildlife, heritage assets and public rights of way of new solar farm near Knaresborough.

⚠️ It’s now reported that around one billion plastic nurdles are believed to have spilled into the River Tyne following a crash between two vessels at the Port of Tyne. The environmental incident was triggered when the Wind Orca vessel struck the berthed container ship BG Orange, causing a dockside gantry crane to collapse and Will Foxx at The Northern Echo has more.

🔥 As we watch in horror the wildfires engulfing parts of Europe ( and some closer to home), Durham University academic Alex Brown brings us some salutary lessons from the past in this fascinating piece in The Conversation: Drought, water shortages and crop failures: how does the medieval warm period compare with today?

🗑️ North Yorkshire Council is facing a call for an independent review of the £1.4bn contract with the Allerton Waste Recovery Park (AWRP) after the plant failed to meet its recycling target for the seventh consecutive year, reports Joe Willis in the D&S.

🦪 The BBC’s Amy Oakden speaks to Judy Power from the Tees River Trust about how the molluscs are helping to clean up the River Tees in this audio clip.

🌳 Askham Bog re-opened at the weekend XX writes Kevin Glenton at The York Press as part of a community celebration weekend marking both the reserve’s return and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s 80th anniversary.

🌏 Work on “the UK’s first carbon dioxide transport and storage network” is underway reports BDaily. Its bosses say the project – which is earmarked to transport and store up to 23 million tonnes of industrial emissions from Teesside and the Humber under the North Sea each year – represents a “once-in-a-generation project to redefine the future”.

🌿 A dream role for lovers of the countryside is being offered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) writes Benjamin Pine at The Yorkshire Post.The authority is looking to take on an apprentice ranger help to maintain the park’s 2,500 km network of footpaths.

Refer a friend

• That’s it for a couple of weeks but, don’t forget, there’s plenty of stories you can browse on our website and via social media.

• Enjoy your summer!

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Dangerously high levels of the bacterium which causes Legionnaire’s disease were found at Hawes in North Yorkshire when a comparison study for Stop Ure Pollution (SUP) was carried out on the Rivers Ure, Wye and Thames recently.

Another bacterium found at Hawes was described as a serious pathogen by the UK based biotechnology company, Molendotech, which carried out the comparison arranged by SUP Chairman Richard Loukota. The company analysed water samples from two sites on the River Thames, one on the River Wye and one on the River Ure using environmental DNA (eDNA) testing. Only those from the Ure were described by the company as of the highest clinical concern.

The pollution in the Ure was highlighted last week when SUP received a report from a visitor that his dog, Elsie, became seriously ill after drinking river water.

Elsie’s owners said: “On the weekend 10th-13th July 2026 our German shepherd dog was playing in the water at Wensley (bridge) dipping to collect and chase stones, obviously digested water and was ill all weekend during our holiday and then rushed home because she eventually needed a vet’s visit to try and stop the continuous diarrhoea! The river seems to have serious issues.” Elsie has reportedly now recovered.

Mr Loukota, called the results ‘a wake-up call’.

“The River Ure has performed worse than the River Wye, which is widely regarded as one of Britain’s most environmentally damaged rivers, and worse than the Thames despite its far larger population.

“It is time for every organisation with direct or indirect responsibility for the river; the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, farmers, agricultural contractors, landowners and Local Authorities to acknowledge the scale of the problem and work together to stop pollutants entering the river.”

And SUP’s vice chairman Toby Milbank added: “The Environment Agency’s ‘advice-led’ approach has run its course and has been largely ineffective in protecting England’s rivers. The Farming Rules for Water must be properly enforced, illegal slurry spreading of organic manures is a criminal offence but the number of prosecutions in the River Wye catchment, Thames and the River Ure Catchment combined, is currently zero. In addition, 1,797 sewage overflow events should never be regarded as acceptable. Only by tackling agricultural runoff, improving sewage treatment infrastructure and restoring natural river buffer zones will we begin to return the River Ure to good ecological health.”

River decline

The River Wye has become the national symbol of river decline after years of ecological damage caused primarily by agricultural runoff and sewage pollution. Yet the River Ure sample contained E. coli levels of 3,700 CFU/100mL—almost twice those recorded in the River Wye and more than five times the level found at Henley on the River Thames, despite the Thames serving a vastly larger population.

The River Ure sample also contained elevated levels of Legionella pneumophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, together with extremely high enterococci counts, all recognised indicators of significant faecal contamination and poor water quality. The findings reinforce Stop Ure Pollution’s weekly monitoring at Aysgarth Falls and Ulshaw Bridge.

As we reported last week, SUP believes the evidence points towards a combination of diffuse agricultural pollution, particularly slurry and manure entering watercourses, together with untreated sewage released from wastewater treatment works and storm overflows. During the winter, volunteers recorded and reported 192 acres of alleged illegal slurry spreading to the Environment Agency, while Yorkshire Water’s 18 sewage treatment works in the River Ure catchment recorded 1,797 sewage overflow events lasting a combined 4,215 hours during 2025, combined, this is a total of over 175 days of untreated sewage entering the River Ure.

A Dales-based trust has pioneered a national collection network which, according to programme figures, diverted around 85 tonnes of plastic tree shelters last year.

Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) partnered with major UK manufacturer Tubex to establish one of the country’s first dedicated collection hubs for used tree shelters in 2020.

The model has since been replicated across England, Scotland and Wales, forming a national network, as forestry experts call for clearer recovery standards before the scale of tree planting makes the problem unmanageable.

YDMT plays a central role in the Forest Plastics Working Group (FPWG), with Mike Appleton, its senior woodland and grants officer, co-chairing the group. The FPWG brings together more than 30 organisations across the forestry, conservation and policy sectors to reduce plastic use in tree planting and improve recovery and recycling.

Around 16 million plastic tree shelters are estimated to be used across Britain each year, according to figures used by YDMT and partner organisations. Some guards were thought to degrade but have since been shown to fragment rather than fully break down, leaving a legacy of plastic pollution in soils, hedgerows and waterways. With government targets requiring at least 30,000 hectares of new woodland to be planted each year, the scale of the problem is set to grow unless current practice changes.

“Tree planting is increasing rapidly, but the systems for dealing with associated waste haven’t kept pace,” says Mike Appleton. “If we don’t fix that now, the clean-up challenge only gets bigger.”

The material collected through the network is recycled by Tubex into pellets used in new products. Support from YDMT has enabled partner organisations to host their own collection hubs, with the National Trust recycling nearly 50,000 plastic tree shelters in 2025.

Steven Smith, tree and woodland adviser for the north of England at the National Trust, said: “The National Trust recycled nearly 50,000 plastic tree shelters in 2025, from our own woodlands and neighbouring landowners. FPWG guidance has shaped how we reduce our reliance on plastic shelters, and support from YDMT made hosting the recycling hubs possible.”

The Forestry Commission has supported the expansion of the hub network and has also recognised the wider challenge, noting that plastic tree guards have provided cheap, effective and durable protection for young trees, but that recommended removal after around seven to 10 years has often not happened over recent decades.

The issue largely remains invisible to the public. Shelters are often hidden by vegetation, buried in soil or scattered across remote planting sites. Responsibility for their removal can be unclear, particularly where land ownership has changed or maintenance agreements have ended years earlier, although the UK Forestry Standard states that redundant tree shelters and guards should be removed.

A citizen science app, Plot That Plastic, developed by the FPWG, is beginning to map the true scale of what remains. Since launching in 2024, the app has recorded 1.9 million tubes in the landscape. Only around 19,000 have been marked as removed.

Katie Goldsbrough, co-chair of the FPWG, says: “Plastic tree shelters are an issue across the sector because they take so much time, organisation and funding to collect, dispose of or recycle properly. This is by no means an easy task, and sadly it is one the sector has not yet got on top of. As a result, the legacy of plastic guards left out in the environment has become worse.”

YDMT is supporting FPWG calls for minimum recovery standards for publicly funded planting schemes, clearer procurement requirements that include end-of-life plans, and greater investment in collection and recycling infrastructure.

The group says recovery needs to be planned and funded from the start of tree planting schemes, so shelters are not only bought and installed, but also collected and dealt with properly when they are no longer needed.

Without clearer delivery mechanisms, responsibility for removing shelters will remain inconsistent and often unfunded.

Campaigners opposing the proposed Hope Moor Wind Farm launched an appeal to fund expert help to fight the scheme and have already raised more than £2,000.

The Hope Moor Wind Farm Action Group has launched a GoFundMe page as it prepares to challenge the planning application, saying it wants to ensure the proposal receives “the thorough scrutiny it deserves”.

As of today (Thursday), more than £2,000 has been donated so far to fight Fred. Olsen Renewables’ plans for 23 turbines on moorland between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale.

The appeal aims to raise £10,000 in total.

Suzy Wilson, spokesperson for the group, said: “As the campaign enters its next phase, we have launched our GoFundMe campaign to help ensure that the Hope Moor Wind Farm proposal receives the thorough scrutiny it deserves.

“Taking on a major infrastructure project is a huge undertaking for a community group, and we want to make sure we have the resources needed to challenge this development effectively.”

Fund public events

She said money raised from the appeal will be used to commission independent planning, environmental and technical advice.

It will also fund public information events, campaign literature, website costs and communications.

The group said it was keen to ensure local communities had access to trusted information throughout the planning process and that the campaign had the resources to respond effectively to the application.

Campaigners are also urging people to support the campaign by sharing information, volunteering or helping raise awareness among family, friends and neighbours.

The fundraising appeal comes as opposition continues to build to the proposed wind farm, with campaigners arguing that the moorland on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales was the wrong place for the energy scheme.

The group said it supported efforts to tackle climate change but believed there were more appropriate locations for industrial-scale renewable energy projects.

Mrs Wilson has thanked supporters of the campaign, with every member of the group giving their time voluntarily so far.

She added: “We are incredibly grateful that a growing number of independent experts and groups are generously donating their knowledge and professional expertise to support the campaign.

“Their commitment is invaluable and gives our community the strongest possible chance of stopping this development.

“Together we can show that tackling climate change should never come at the expense of nature.”

The developer says the wind farm could generate enough renewable energy to power around 135,000 homes and businesses.

• For more information on the appeal, visit www.gofundme.com/f/prevent-the-inappropriate-industrialisation-of-our-moorlands

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We’re starting today with news of a major event to take water companies to task but there’s plenty of other topics too including:

💨 My attempt to work out the likely decision maker on Hope Moor Wind Farm

🌏 The latest on local National Emergency climate briefings

☀️ Controversy over solar plans for agricultural land

Yorkshire Dirty Business Event: Mayors respond to public outrage

The Yorkshire Mayors are to respond to the real people behind the hit docudrama Dirty Business at a public event launching their campaign for greater public ownership of water.

Organisers, Ilkley Clean River Group say the event on August 6 is an opportunity to hear what the elected representatives have to say about the scandal and an opportunity for people to have their say on the water sector crisis.

The group says the public have had little say in how our water companies are run:

The film screening and panel discussion will be chaired by the programme director Joe Bullman. The ‘real people’ in Dirty Business - Ash Smith, Peter Hammond, Rob Forrester, will talk about the sewage scandal. The Mayors - Tracy Brabin West Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard South Yorkshire (other mayors TBC ) - will respond and launch their campaign for water. The audience will then have the opportunity to ask questions.

Alternatives to privatisation

The Sewage Campaign Network and The People’s Commission for Water are calling for failing water companies to be put into Special Administration, and for a feasibility study in order to design a modern bespoke public ownership model for this country.

They also have a government petition calling for a referendum on public ownership to give the public who pay for the water sector a voice in the future of water.

• Find out more and register for your ticket here: Yorkshire Dirty Business Event - the mayors respond to public outrage Tickets, Thursday, August 6 • 1:30 PM - 4 PM.

From our website

💨 There’s plenty of news in on the Hope Moor Wind Farm plans. Joe Willis brings us the latest claims from the campaigners and criticism of the roads plan for the site. Meanwhile, I turned sleuth ahead of yesterday’s cabinet appointments in an attempt to work out who might be taking the final decision on the controversial plans. Read my full report here.

🌏 After hosting a successful screening of the National Emergency Briefing on the Climate, the group Climate Action Northallerton has organised a follow-up meeting tomorrow (Wednesday)to bring the local community together to look at the actions they can take to better prepare for the climate impacts Northallerton will likely face. My report here.

☀️ Councillors will sit down today (Tuesday) to discuss plans for 100 hectares of land which the planning officers have given their backing to use for a large solar farm and associated battery energy storage system (BESS). The full report is here.

In other news

💦 Warning signs have been installed at Richmond Falls to highlight the hidden dangers of entering the River Swale as North Yorkshire Council launches a renewed water safety campaign ahead of the school summer holidays, reports Joe Willis at RichmondshireToday.

☀️ A solar panel company which is planning to create hundreds of jobs is calling for certainty from politicians to aid its expansion, writes Richard Moss at the BBC. Power Roll currently employs around 35 people at its test plant in Murton, County Durham, where it is developing pioneering new technology using cells smaller than human hairs.

🔥Two York farm workers have been invited to parliament after their heroic efforts to prevent fire spread. Luke Charters, MP for York Outer, has invited Jay Loft, 22, and Cameron Bartram, 19, down to Parliament after their quick thinking helped extinguish a blaze which had spread over 700 metres across wheat fields in Woodthorpe. Abby Backhouse at the York Press has more.

💨 A proposed new Clean Energy Park will breathe new life into an underused 230-acre industrial site on the banks of the River Tyne, adding 400 metres of new deep-water quayside to create the necessary port infrastructure needed to develop and maintain the North Sea offshore wind sector. [ Defra Press Release]

🌟 A plant which will process electronic waste to recover metals such as gold, copper, silver and palladium, which are essential for manufacturing, clean energy, technology and national security opened on Teesside writes Freya Cain-Metcalf at The Northern Echo.

🪶 The RaptorPersecutionUK blog has news about ITV News’ five minute feature on the continued illegal killing of birds of prey in North Yorkshire, and the RSPB’s calls for a gamebird shooting licensing scheme to tackle these crimes.

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• That’s it for now but, don’t forget, there’s plenty of stories you can browse on our website and via social media.

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The developer behind the Hope Moor Wind Farm scheme has been accused of being “disingenuous” by describing up to 17 miles of six-metre-wide roads which would be built across open moorland as “tracks”.

The North Pennines National Landscape Partnership has criticised the lack of information provided so far by Fred. Olsen Renewables, which is drawing up plans for 23 turbines, each more than 200 metres high, on moorland between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale.

In its response to the developer’s scoping report, which asks what information on environmental impact should be included with a future planning application, the partnership likens the lack of details on how the scheme will be connected to the national grid and on roads which will be built on the moorland as “asking someone to house a dangerous animal without explaining the cage in which it will be kept”.

The organisation adds: “The material published thus far specifically states that there are no clear plans for how the electricity generated would be transferred to the grid.

“There would be a likely significant local impact in this and to not present plans for it as part of the scoping opinion means that the developer is asking for comment on what amounts to only part of the scheme.”

The partnership adds: “On-site, the report talks about ‘tracks’ — please refer to these structures as roads, rather than tracks — it is disingenuous to do otherwise.

“Considering the impact of similar-sized development in open moorland elsewhere, we can expect between 22km and 28km of internal roads.

“Whilst we know the precise figure cannot be given, it is important that a realistic figure be provided early in the next phase including: total permanent track length, length of floating roads over peat, length of cut-and-fill roads and total area of permanent hardstanding.

“Only then will you be able to understand long-term impacts on landscape, hydrology and habitats associated with the internal road layout.”

A68 corridor

The partnership also criticises the developer’s claim that the cumulative effects of the scheme would be “minimal at worst”, which it says “completely ignores the cumulative impact of wind farms along the A68 corridor”.

It adds: The additional impact of the proposed development would make it, and the current wind farms, both visible from some key locations, clearly adding to the erosion of the special quality of relative remoteness, wildness and tranquillity in those places.

“There needs to be deeper engagement on this, as the issues are not currently adequately considered.”

Fred. Olsen says it welcomes the feedback received through the scoping process.

A spokesperson added: “We will continue to work closely with the North Pennines National Landscape Partnership to ensure environmental effects, including landscape, peat, ecology and cultural heritage, are assessed thoroughly and robustly.”

It’s commonly believed the Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero will be the final decision maker on the plans for a major wind farm on the North Yorkshire/County Durham border.

But today’s shift of power may completely upend that expectation as we wait to see if Mr Miliband will be shuffled onto a new job by new PM Andy Burnham. Regardless of that possibility he is, of course, not alone in taking important decisions about national infrastructure - so who else is involved?

The many people who attended the recent public meeting in Barningham will remember hearing the host, constituency MP Sam Rushworth, suggest that the real decision maker would be Michael Shanks. On checking this out with the energy department I’ve confirmed that the decision could, as expected, be made by whoever holds the post of Energy Secretary - but the spokesperson added that it could alternatively be “Minister Whitehead on the Energy Secretary’s behalf.”

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Meet Lord Alan Whitehead CBE

So what do we know about the man who is likely looking through the documents for plans from renewable energy company Fred. Olsen Renewables for 23 wind turbines, each up to 200 metres high, installed across around 2,700 acres of moorland between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale?

One thing is for sure, he is a long-term advocate of renewable energy - his Wikipedia entry (not always the most reliable source) even claims he looked at the possibility of being the first MP to have a wind turbine installed on his constituency home roof in Highfield, Southampton.

From the most reliable source (Hansard, the official record) there’s many mentions of his support for renewable energy but also an appreciation for the often complex and nuanced debates.

Way back in 2006 he addressed the point, criticising the level of debate and reporting of the topic, saying in a debate on wind energy:

“Another issue that is reduced to a knee-jerk reaction is the question, “Are you in favour of wind farms?” That often gets two distinct answers from the same people at the same time. They say yes in general, but, “No, if it’s in my back yard”—or perhaps that should be “No, if it’s on my hill”.

“The picture of protestors opposing wind generation is all too familiar to us all. They tell councillors to reject the planning application, as a community united in opposition. We often do not even bother to read the caption. I want to test that.”

And he goes on to outline his support for community-owned or non-community-owned wind farms around the country to balance out the variance which opponents point to when arguing that the wind doesn’t always blow everywhere.

A bit more recently in his own blog, Alan’s Energy Blog, shared by The Ecologist, he spoke out against David Cameron’s move to an onshore wind moratorium describing it as machiavellian.

And just a couple of months ago in May, Lord Whitehead was acting on behalf of the secretary of state for energy security when he granted Development Consent Orders (DCOs) for two co‑located wind farms known as Dogger Bank South West and Dogger Bank South East.

The man behind the title

Currently a member of the House of Lords, Alan Whitehead married Sophie Wronska in 1979, and they have a son and daughter.

He is a member of the Saints Trust, plays in the UK parliamentary football team and was appointed as a Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 11 November 2025.

His official biography reports that he studied Politics and Philosophy at the University of Southampton, later receiving a PhD in Political Science from the institution.

Alan served as Labour MP for Southampton Test between 1997 and 2024.

He has previously been Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Department of Transport, Local Government and Regions from 2001 to 2002, been a member of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee from 2009 to 2015, and served as Shadow Minister for Energy Security from 2016 to 2024.

Alignment on geothermal energy

An interesting aspect of Lord Whitehead’s policy work is his enthusiasm for geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy harnesses the Earth’s natural underground heat - generated by the planet’s core and radioactive decay - to generate electricity or provide direct heating.

In an article by Megan Kenyon in The News Statesman in 2024 we learn that, prior to his parliamentary career, Whitehead was the leader of Southampton City Council.

His election in 1984 coincided with a period when, what is now the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, was exploring a geothermal well in the Hampshire area, which it thought could be harnessed as a renewable means of heating the city.

Although the government discontinued this research after it was deemed commercially unviable, the project was taken up by the city council under Whitehead’s direction.

“More than three decades later, and the UK’s first and only commercially operating geothermal heat network continues to operate across Southampton. Hot water is extracted from a well underground that is nearly 2km deep, and used to provide heating for the city’s hospital, university, and local businesses.”

Going back to the Hope Moor meeting in Barningham, Mr Rushworth was similarly keen on pursuing this type of development, telling the audience about his strategy of proposing an alternative to the wind farm. He said at that meeting:

“In County Durham, we have really unique geography that makes us better placed than anywhere else in the country, other than Cornwall, which is similar. It’s very close to the to the surface, there’s the mine water - where you use a heat exchanger - then there’s the deep as well, when you have to go about two kilometres down.

“It’s something that we’re not exploring enough, and both to generate electricity, to generate heat, which you can certainly give away for free, and a lot of our energy need in the UK is heat, not electricity.

“Indeed, a lot of our fossil fuel need is heat, and so it’s about getting us off of oil and gas for our heating, and it’s why I think that it’s a really credible alternative to propose to government to say, look, if you need to get that, there’s a way we could do it, where you’re going to see a geothermal well that’s less than half the size of this room. It’s practically invisible, and it’s why I want to make those sorts of arguments.”

Politics being the way it is in these febrile times, the names at the top of the decision-making chain could well have changed between me writing this and you reading it but, maybe any upcoming changes will also bring new possibilities.

• I’d love to hear your thoughts on geothermal energy and its suitability.

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Campaigners fighting plans for a large wind farm on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales say the developer has attempted to “limit scrutiny” after government inspectors said they disagreed with the company on several key issues.

The Planning Inspectorate has rejected Fred. Olsen Renewables requests not to include some assessments of the impact of the wind farm, planned for moorland between Teesdale and Arkengdrathdale, in a future planning application.

In response to the Norwegian company’s scoping report, which proposes what environmental impact information will be included in the application, the Planning Inspectorate says it “disagrees” with the developer on several issues and also highlights a number of “inconsistences” in the study.

Rather than allowing some issues to be “scoped out” of the environmental statement, the Inspectorate repeatedly concludes that further assessment is required.

The Inspectorate rejects the developer’s proposal to exclude assessments of some landscapes beyond 20km, arguing that there is insufficient evidence to show they would not experience significant effects.

It requires further assessment of impacts on a range of nationally important landscapes and heritage parks, including the North York Moors National Park, Nidderdale National Landscape and Studley Royal.

It also questions the proposed 10km limit for cumulative landscape effects.

Suzy Wilson, a spokesperson for Hope Moor Wind Farm Action Group, claimed the Inspectorate’s judgement was a “cynical attempt by Fred Olsen to limit scrutiny of the environmental impact of the development”.

She added: “The Planning Inspectorate has criticised the developer throughout this document and has required a clearer and more comprehensive assessment of numerous issues – from wildlife to heritage to flood risk to peatland.

“It is quite extraordinary that Fred Olsen Renewables don’t seem to care at all about permanent loss of deep peat, particularly given all the money spent by Yorkshire Peat Partnership and others on restoring this peatland. What was the point?

“This marks the beginning of the next stage of the process — not the end — and we remain committed to ensuring that every environmental impact is properly assessed before any decisions are made.”

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The Inspectorate says that setting is influenced by more than just views and says factors such as noise also need to be considered. It also insists decommissioning impacts should be assessed.

In relation to ecology, the Inspectorate rejects proposals to scope out assessments for several protected sites and species.

It also tells the applicant to provide information on how energy from the wind farm would connect to the national grid.

A spokesperson for Fred. Olsen said they welcomed the feedback received through the scoping process and the planning inspectorate’s scoping opinion, which they said “provides a clear framework for the next stage of assessment”.

They added: “We will continue to work closely with the North Pennines National Landscape Partnership to ensure environmental effects including landscape, peat, ecology and cultural heritage, are assessed thoroughly and robustly.

“We also welcome the planning inspectorate’s view that grid connection options based on the information available, should be assessed proportionately while national reforms to the connections process continue.

“Our focus is on developing and delivering a project that can help contribute to the long-term sustainability of the local landscape, meet the pressing demand to decarbonise our energy system and combat the increasingly visible effects of the climate crisis.”