Balcombe balks at tax changes for community green-energy projects

#Energy Village which brought fracking to public attention fears changes to tax relief will thwart efforts to spread solar energy use

The small, picturesque village of Balcombe in west Sussex became synonymous with fracking – and the opposition to it – nearly two years ago when plans emerged to test local land for oil drilling. That summer, the Balcombe protests propelled the issue of shale gas and oil to the forefront of public debate, sparking demonstrations elsewhere and a mass petition to Westminster.

Now the focus of protests has moved elsewhere, but the villagers are continuing their anti-fracking revolution in the form of a new, carbon-free, source of energy for the area. An array of solar panels, paid for by a fundraising drive among residents, were switched on at a nearby farm this week, giving villagers an alternative vision of clean power.

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