North Northamptonshire Council has decided to waive £2m of taxes owed by a construction company. Waiving taxes is not the only bit of back-scratching going on. In October 2023 a report published by the Guardian found that "At least 10% of donations received by the Conservative party since 2010 came from property developers, real estate tycoons and others connected with the construction industry".
The report continues "Since 2015, the Conservative government has made several decisions that have saved money for housebuilders while running counter to the UK’s green targets. These decisions include:
- Refusing to require new homes to be built with heat pumps instead of gas boilers, resulting in most new homes being connected to the gas grid.
- Refusing to mandate that new homes are built with solar panels.
- Delaying tougher building regulations on insulation.
- Delaying a “future homes standard” to ensure new homes are net zero carbon.
- Continuing to back hydrogen for home heating, after experts warned it would be expensive and impractical.
- Attempting to scrap nutrient regulations that would force housebuilders to clean up watercourses."
Why do you say "they are not efficient heaters of homes"? Heat pumps are around three times more efficient than gas boilers, so they use much less energy to heat the property. It's certainly true that they are not always the best option for existing housing stock, particularly old, poorly-insulated houses. But for brand new houses, which is what this report is addressing, they are a no-brainer. They are more expensive for the housebuilder to install, but cheaper for the house-buyers to run, and better for the planet too. So heat pumps are an obviously logical, economical and ethical choice... unless you are being bribed by millions of pounds in donations from the housebuilders, and are waiving millions of pounds in taxes for them.
How does a councillor know so little that he reports a supposedly serious issue to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner? This is the same Councillor that’s posting selfies of himself at protests against the Commissioner. He sounds like a clueless clown to me.
North Northamptonshire Council has decided to waive £2m of taxes owed by a construction company. Waiving taxes is not the only bit of back-scratching going on. In October 2023 a report published by the Guardian found that "At least 10% of donations received by the Conservative party since 2010 came from property developers, real estate tycoons and others connected with the construction industry".
The report continues "Since 2015, the Conservative government has made several decisions that have saved money for housebuilders while running counter to the UK’s green targets. These decisions include:
- Refusing to require new homes to be built with heat pumps instead of gas boilers, resulting in most new homes being connected to the gas grid.
- Refusing to mandate that new homes are built with solar panels.
- Delaying tougher building regulations on insulation.
- Delaying a “future homes standard” to ensure new homes are net zero carbon.
- Continuing to back hydrogen for home heating, after experts warned it would be expensive and impractical.
- Attempting to scrap nutrient regulations that would force housebuilders to clean up watercourses."
Government have got it all wrong regards heating a home, insisting on ground source pumps.
They are not efficient heaters of homes, requiring up to 50% larger radiators be fitted to each room.
How is that practical?
God only knows who advises the Government but its a non starter.
"And they walk amongst us!"
Why do you say "they are not efficient heaters of homes"? Heat pumps are around three times more efficient than gas boilers, so they use much less energy to heat the property. It's certainly true that they are not always the best option for existing housing stock, particularly old, poorly-insulated houses. But for brand new houses, which is what this report is addressing, they are a no-brainer. They are more expensive for the housebuilder to install, but cheaper for the house-buyers to run, and better for the planet too. So heat pumps are an obviously logical, economical and ethical choice... unless you are being bribed by millions of pounds in donations from the housebuilders, and are waiving millions of pounds in taxes for them.
How does a councillor know so little that he reports a supposedly serious issue to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner? This is the same Councillor that’s posting selfies of himself at protests against the Commissioner. He sounds like a clueless clown to me.
Can you confirm that Cllr Patel is resigning as a councillor and not simply becoming a backbencher with no other responsibilities?
Yes - stood down as a councillor entirely.