Oxford Council have announced that they are to ban Gas boilers and Hobs in all new homes from 2025.
Oxford City Council has said their new rules will help tackle the “existential threat of climate change” and the arbitary decision will, according to them, help the city to hit net zero by 2040.
Appliances that use fossil fuels in heating and cooking are to be forbidden from being installed in new houses and commercial developments with only limited exceptions, under the proposals. The council are bringing forward its previous 2036 date for the ban on gas and oil in new builds, in what is seen as defiance of the government who recently relaxed the Net Zero targets. In September, Rishi Sunak pushed back a number of green targets 10 years to 2035, including the ban on new gas boilers and petrol and diesel cars.
Oxford Council, along with Oxford County Council, were in the news earlier this year when Vision News exposed their plans to turn Oxford into a 15 Minute City. The council(s) issued a statement accusing us of making up the story and threatening us with legal action. (the original video they made denying their plans has now been removed from the internet) However, it was all true, they are going ahead with all of it, and more, Vision News has been exonerated by the facts.
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has criticised Oxford councillors for diverging from the already “very challenging” national timetable to meet net zero by 2050.
Steve Turner, executive director at the HBF, said: “The industry is committed to the Government’s very challenging agenda to make new homes even more efficient and is working with stakeholders to deliver it.
“We need all parties, including central and local government to work together and avoid diverging off the developing plan, which will lead to unnecessary delays and additional costs.”
Under the plans, developers who fail to meet the proposed requirements would be made to contribute to council funds ring fenced to combat climate change. The council said this would be a “last resort” if builders were unable to fit carbon neutral alternatives such as heat pumps and electric hobs.
Developers in charge of more than 9,600 new houses that are planned to be built in Oxford would be affected by the rule change, which also requires them to meet minimum standards of trees, hedges and greenery. The Council have also blocked plans for a major road to service the new homes, said to be because new roads don't fit in with the 15 Minute City agenda, where motorists are 'encouraged' to stay in their local neighbourhood with a combination of road blocks, ANPR gates, LTNs, ZEZs, speed reductions, and a host of other control measures.
The council has opened a public consultation on the so-called Local Plan 2040 pledges though the previous consultation was a sham full of loaded questions designed to illicit a particular result. That counciltation, despite this, still resulted in 91% of local residents rejecting the plans. The council simply ignored the results and ploughed on regardless. Our contact in the council told us today: "The climate lockdowns are going ahead as planned."
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