Plans are being put in place for a large roll out of solar panels in Eastbourne. Cabinet Councillors at the Borough Council last night approved the scheme, which will see the installation of solar panels on between 700 to 1,500 council owned houses and non-domestic buildings.
Subject to final legal checks, the council has allocated up to £13m in capital funding for the project, which will see tenants benefit from solar electricity while the costs are recovered through Government’s feed-in tariff scheme. The subsidy will be paid out over 25 years.
Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, Councillor David Tutt said, “Eastbourne is now a step closer to leading a solar revolution and is amongst the first pioneering authorities to seriously consider the potential offered by sustainable energy. We still have some work to do before we can make this a reality; however, with such an innovative scheme like this it is right and proper to ensure we have completed all the right checks before committing funding.
“Everyone knows Eastbourne is one of the sunniest towns in the UK and we hope to have a final positive decision within weeks so we can start to harness our considerable sunshine advantage.”
Surrounding councils are expected to follow suit as local authorities from across East Sussex and the wider South East keep a close eye on proceedings in Eastbourne.
