The council are trying to take away our power.
We hope you know that Hippy Motors is carbon neutral; in truth we are carbon negative as we save more carbon than we use and we are very proud of that, but Torridge District Council are looking to take that away in September 2020.
Two years ago our council gave us permission to build our ground mounted solar array in our garden that powers our business, home and the excess power goes into the grid powering many more homes.
For over a year now ourselves and neighbours have been objecting to the building of 9 houses on land that is an area designated as outstanding beauty and in a conservation area. A week ago we were shocked that the council recommended the development get granted despite several issues with this development.
Only a few months ago we did some calculations on the plans provided and realised that the shadows from the tall, ugly, tacky houses they plan to build are going to shade our solar panels making them worthless.
Although we have alerted the council to this and to the fact that they want the area to be carbon neutral by 2030 of which our system is helping they are ignoring us. We smell a rat here, they seem to be wanting to push this one through regardless of the damage.
We are feeling rather upset about all this and feeling rather let down by the council. We have written to them explicitly pointing out that they gave us permission to build the solar panel array (at a very large cost to us) and in only two years they are going to effectively take it away but we are being ignored.
If you feel you want to help us then you can. The council have a 'Public Portal' where the public can tell the council their view on this. You can leave Torridge District Council a comment objecting to the development in support of us here at Hippy Motors and our ethical stance on how to do business. You will need to register, it will take a few minutes but your comment just may help us here save our renewable power supply and prevent a load of houses built on the edge of a valley designated as outstanding beauty making it ugly.
Feel free to follow this link here and add your voice to ours and let the council know that they should not take away our power, the environment needs to come first in any decision they make.
Go to 'comments', to make a comment then register and then follow the instructions. If you need the application number it is 1/0070/2018/OUT Thank you, your action could help us carry on working more ethically.
Our system in full sun generating power for us and many others.
What the council want instead in a conservation area and area of outstanding beauty...
