Kingsland School Renewable Energy

Created by Mike Perks on 25/05/2009

Category: Environment
Region: Peeblesshire
Target: Scottish Borders Council / Tweedale Residents

Tweedgreen, a local voluntary group promoting efforts towards realising a self-sustaining Tweedale, are actively engaged with Scottish Borders Council in an attempt to negotiate the(re-)inclusion of environmental technologies in the new Kingland School development in Peebles. We understand that a decision regarding the integration of renewable energy options as an integral part of the construction of the new school has been made with three potential renewable technologies being dropped 'at the 11th hour due to budgetary constraints'.

We, the undersigned, hope to obtain Scottish Borders Council consent and support to reappraise this decision.

To retro-fit renewable technologies is not only more costly but also in 15-20years man-made climate change will be such that the potential for major environmental impacts (i.e. reduced carbon emissions) will have been missed. We are at a critical climate crossroads and hold the health of the biosphere for our children in the balance. Any decision to promulgate fossil fuel dependency with public purse expenditure must be critically examined.

We trust Scottish Borders Council will consider this opportunity worthy of further action as it
specifically fits with Scottish Borders Council objectives: as stated in the Newways Environmental Strategy > "The highest standards of energy efficiency should be sought in both old and new buildings" & "local renewable energy resources need to be developed to help mitigate climate change and to secure local employment opportunities". Scottish Borders Council Newways Action Plan states that SBC should "Seek to go beyond building regulation standards for all existing property and all new capital projects"

We, the undersigned, implore Scottish Borders Council "to go the extra mile" by actively pursuing available grant aid schemes and match-funding the installation of environmental technologies at the new Kingsland School, Peebles, in order to deliver an exemplar public project utilising renewable energy (woody biomass and solar systems).