Victory for local campaign as solar panels made mandatory on almost all new build homes
A local campaign led by Leigh Ingham, MP for Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages, has helped prompt a major shift in Government housing policy. In response to her petition, which was signed by hundreds of residents across the constituency, the Government has now announced that solar panels will be required by law on almost all new homes by 2027.
This step is part of the national push towards Net Zero, and comes after months of campaigning by Leigh Ingham, who has been urging ministers to take a more ambitious, “roofs-first” approach to solar.
Along with her petition, the MP wrote to Matthew Pennycook MP, the minister responsible, to make the case on behalf of local people.
Leigh Ingham, MP for Stafford, Eccleshall, and the villages said: “This is a huge win for our communities. I’ve spoken to so many people locally that feel very strongly that the next generation of homes we build should not only be homes, but energy generators as well.
“Mandatory solar panels on all new build properties could save homeowners hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills, while reducing the need for renewable energy sources to be placed in rural areas, preserving the natural landscape and avoiding disruption to our precious natural ecosystems.
“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who signed my petition, I’m so pleased we were able to contribute to this change together.”
Last year, Leigh Ingham visited the zero energy bill homes at Victoria Gate in Stafford alongside Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. Those homes are equipped with solar panels, heat pumps, and home batteries — technologies that she says should become the norm across Staffordshire and beyond.
