12 February 2020
Local Greens were deeply disappointed when planning permission for the Mercury House development in Brentford was approved by Hounslow Council, even though the plans include gas boilers. Hounslow Green party believes this decision is a big mistake because it ignores the climate change impacts of the boilers.
Tony Firkins, the Hounslow Green Party co-ordinator, and Secretary of the Green Party Energy Policy Working Group, said “We welcome the provision of six truly affordable homes.”
“We have very real concerns regarding the climate change implications for this proposal due to the planned use of gas boilers. We don’t believe that the plans approved align with the London Borough of Hounslow’s declaration of a Climate Emergency and the consequent Climate Emergency Action Plan, because the development is not zero carbon. The London mayor’s policy is that all developments should be zero carbon from 2019.”
“The gas boilers should be removed from the plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Instead heat pumps should be used. It will be much cheaper to make the development zero carbon from the start, rather than build it and change it later.”
“This is a very important issue, because 80% of the Council's emissions come from social housing. We need to start addressing the Climate Emergency now, because we are all running out of time.”
The planning application is for the erection of an additional storey to existing four storey block comprising six new flats. Mercury House is in the Glenhurst Road, Brentford, TW8 0QT. The planning reference is P/2019/4366.
