Green Jobs: 'caught in planning delays'

Britain's new generation of green power plants 'are caught in planning delays'

CBI and unions call on government to clear logjams delaying 37 major energy schemes that could create up to 50,000 construction jobs

One consultancy fears that cuts in local authority spending could lead to further delays in approval for green power schemes. Photograph: Michael Buholzer/Reuters

19 December 2010 - The opportunity to create up to 50,000 badly needed jobs in the construction sector by building a new generation of "greener" power plants is being thrown away by long delays in the planning process, ministers have been warned.

Union leaders have joined the Confederation of British Industry in pressing the government to clear the logjams that have led to almost 40 major energy schemes being held up.

"We are calling on ministers to act now to ensure projects get under way, not only to meet Britain's energy needs but also for the valuable jobs these projects will create in the construction industry," said Tom Hardacre, national officer for the construction industry at Unite.

The call comes just days after energy secretary Chris Huhne promised to push ahead with wide-ranging energy market reform but also follows a warning from the CBI about the need to deal with the delays. {continued}