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Parties who voted against church solar power could suffer at ballot box
| Published: 4th February 2010 21:38 |
Green-minded Tory voters in Moseley could desert the Party at the local elections after city councillors voted against a sustainable energy plan for St Mary's Church.
That's the view of Lib Dem Ernie Hendricks who faces a fight to hold on to his Moseley and Kings Heath seat on Birmingham City Council seat this May.
Cllr Hendricks spoke up for the controversial scheme to install solar panels on the church roof at this week's meeting of the planning committee. He says he does not believe the city councillors gave due consideration to their own trumpeted policies on climate change.
Now Cllr Hendricks fears other sustainability plans for Moseley - which were all part of an award-winning £180,000 package - could suffer after the St Mary's plan was turned down.
"St Mary's was at the hub of the bid," he says. "There may now be consequences for the other schemes at Hamza Mosque, the allotments and twenty local homes."
Only members of the planning committee, which does not include Cllr Hendricks, were allowed to vote - and while his own party and Labour were split on the issue, all the Conservative councillors voted to refuse permission.
"I can see voters in Moseley saying ‘you made a stand against the environment' and I can see the Tories suffering at the ballot box," he said.
The decision hinged on a decision between conservation of a local historic building and preservation of the planet, according to campaigners including local MP Lynne Jones.
Read more about the Moseley Green Streets sustainability plan
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