Torbay solar farm decision makers told to think again

'There are so many ways the council could use this money'

Councillors keen to hand South West Water the task of building a new solar farm in Torbay have been told to think again.

Last year Torbay Council’s Conservative administration voted to build the new complex at Brokenbury and sell the electricity to South West Water (SWW). However, it changed its mind last month and opted to get SWW to build the solar farm itself.

The Tory group says the council has a poor track record of delivering such projects, and if SWW takes on the building the council can pocket a regular income from the lease with none of the risks.

Deputy leader Chris Lewis (Con, Preston) told a recent meeting: “We don’t have a very good record of delivering on time and on budget.

“We have taken risks which have come back to bite us. Let’s learn from our mistakes and let others borrow the money and take the risks.”

But opponents argued that giving SWW responsibility for the project would mean the council missing out on any profits from selling the power. The deal would also come without a ‘dividend’ for community projects.

And now the cabinet has been told to think again.

Opposition councillors ‘called in’ the issue, meaning it had to be debated again by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee, which is chaired by Liberal Democrat group leader Swithin Long (Barton with Watcombe).

Voting was tied, but on Cllr Long’s casting vote the question of Brokenbury was referred back to the cabinet for more debate, on the grounds that members did not have enough information at the time of their original decision on issues including a detailed business case with all the risks and rewards of doing the job in-house.

Meanwhile, South Devon Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden, whose constituency includes the Brokenbury site at Churston, has backed calls for the council’s leaders to think again.

“We know that solar farms can produce steady income for 25 to 30 years,” she said. “Annual return on investment is between 10 and 20 per cent.

“I cannot understand why the leadership of Torbay Council are claiming this investment is too risky, and why they would want to reward SWW by allowing them to take the profit, when there are so many ways the council could use this money to benefit the local area.”

She said the money could be used to improve the park and ride bus service to Brixham, which operates from the field next door, supporting caring organisations, funding social care or investing in facilities for children with special needs.

“The list is endless,” she added. “I will be deeply disappointed if it is SWW who stands to gain from this deal rather than the communities of Churston and Brixham.”