Opinion: Let's get Suffolk going after years of delays

It was widely seen as a declaration of war on NIMBYs. I have only one reaction to this. Halleluiah!

It's about time we had a government committed to getting things done rather than cravenly cowards that we've had in charge for the last few years.

At times it felt as if the only thing the previous cabinet lacked was Minister for Procrastination!

For too long this country has suffered from having too many ministers running scared of pressure groups, finding ways of putting off decisions and leaving the country mired in a bog of stagnation!

It all started with David Cameron's de facto ban on onshore wind farms. What a stupid policy to adopt - all because of a noisy campaign by a small number of objectors.

It ended with a cowardly government putting off time and again a relatively simple decision on the Sunnica Solar farm in West Suffolk. What a pathetic bunch they were!

While I fully accept it would wrong to put a huge turbine at the bottom of a garden, some of the objections seemed ridiculous.

I remember covering a row about plans for turbines on a hillside at Wherstead near Ipswich which eventually were abandoned because of objections from a few people on the Stoke Park estate a mile away - what a farce!

When first operating, Swaffham's wind turbines were a popular tourist attraction. Who says this form of generation is ugly? (Image: Newsquest)

Some people might not like the look of wind turbines, some see them as an interesting feature on the skyline.

When the region's first big turbine was installed at Swaffham in Norfolk it became a big tourist attraction - to ban them on ascetic grounds was ridiculous!

It's almost impossible to build anything on "greenbelt" land despite the quality or the previous use of the land - that has to be swept away.

And it's about time those who seem to be springing up complaining about new large housing developments accept that there's a real housing crisis in this country.

It's not just about rough sleeping or sofa-surfing, although that's bad enough.

It's also about the number of people in their late 20s and even 30s who are still living at home with mum and dad because they can't afford somewhere to rent, let alone getting a foot on the housing ladder!

To solve this we need a huge house-building programme across the country. In towns and cities and in villages - and I don't mean half a dozen eco-homes for a social rent for people working in the local organic deli!

We need building at scale and with local infrastructure - schools, roads, shops, offices etc thrown in as well. And if the "character" of some places change then so be it.

Their character has changed dramatically over the last 80 years anyway as local people have moved out and been replaced by commuters who drive to work everyday moving in!

And then we come to the P-word. During her visit to Ipswich earlier this year Ms Reeves made it clear a Labour Government would press ahead with creating a modern energy infrastructure as soon as possible.

That means pylons - and the infrastructure needs to be built as soon as possible.

The planning process is still going ahead. Decisions are still some time off - but there cannot be any further delay. Those calling for yet another pause need to understand the climate crisis is happening now!

You can't kick the can down the road any more just because a small number of people don't want to be able to see evidence of progress in their neighbourhood!

We've had 14 years of decisions being fudged, of the interests of the many being sacrificed to the interests of the few who have the ears of government ministers.

Ms Reeves made some bold statements in her first speech at The Treasury as Chancellor. I really hope she retains the strength to follow them through and really get this country on the right track.

The opinions expressed in this column are the personal views of Paul Geater and do not necessarily reflect views held by this newspaper, its sister publications or its owner and publisher Newsquest Media Group Ltd.