Green charity will seek a judicial review if government’s decision is not reversed within a week

Environmental charity Friends of the Earth (FoE) has announced that it will launch legal action against the government unless it reverses its plans to cut the feed-in tariff subsidy for solar power.

The campaigner has written to climate change minister Greg Barker to inform him that it plans to seek a judicial review unless he withdraws the planned cut by 4pm this Friday (11 November).

The organisation claims the government is wrong to impose the cut several days before the consultation period ends on 23 December.

FoE’s policy and campaigns director Craig Bennett said: “The government is breaking the law with its plans to fast-track a solar industry kill-off - as well as jeopardising thousands of jobs and countless clean energy projects across the country.

“Significant time and money has been invested planning solar schemes for homes, schools and libraries - giving them just six weeks to install is completely unacceptable, and schemes have already been scrapped.

“Ministers must amend their proposals and extend the deadline for solar tariff payments, or face a judicial review.”