In these tough times I’m pleased to be able to begin this month with some genuinely good news. Norfolk MPs have campaigned strongly to stop every new windfarm having to dig its own trench across Norfolk to connect to the National Grid near Norwich. The current rules prevent them from sharing trenches and also stop National Grid from taking the National Transmission Network to the North Sea. The result is huge disruption for our villages and ecology. Our lobbying persuaded the Energy minister to order a review of the system, which has just been published: National Grid ESO agrees with us! By integrating offshore connections the industry will save up to £6Bn (that’s money off our bills in the long run) and will largely do away with the need for on-land cabling in Norfolk. The diagram below shows the difference between continuing as we are now and the new proposal. This is real progress, but the challenge will now be to make sure this actually happens, and that schemes that are already in the pipeline can take advantage of this new approach. I will continue to work on this.
October also marks the launch of the government’s new Green Homes Grant scheme. Homeowners and landlords can apply for a grant voucher towards the cost of installing energy-efficient improvements to homes. This could include insulating your home to reduce energy use or installing low-carbon heating to lower the amount of carbon dioxide your home produces. Grants of up to £5,000 or £10,000 are available (dependent on circumstances) – you can find out more about the scheme via my website, jeromemayhew.org.uk or at greenhomesgrant.campaign.gov.uk.
The reduction in the number of Covid cases over the summer provided a respite for our retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, and a much-needed boost to our local economy. However, with the winter flu season starting infections will rise so we must continue to focus on taking sensible precautions. The number of cases in Broadland continues to remain low, but there has been a dramatic increase in Great Yarmouth. The simple precautions of “Hands – Face - Space” will continue to be important for the foreseeable future.
As ever, if I can help you with any issue or concern, please do contact me at [email protected]. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or via my website at www.jeromemayhew.org.uk.
Jerome Mayhew MP
Member of Parliament for Broadland
