Letter: A housing solution that could also provide power for people

Unfortunately many applications are going through regardless of local public opinion and who can blame the landowner for wanting to dip into that big pot of free money for little, if any effort.

Many of our farming landowners need to or are asked to diversify and many need to in order to turn a profit and actually survive.The idea of wind turbines and solar farms have appealed to many due to the very generous financial rewards, more so with solar farms than having one stand alone turbine.

Our councils seem impotent when it comes to stopping most applications, most planners seem very happy to have them, as do many of the green bunch.

However, solar farms and turbines are not liked by many who live in and appreciate the countryside.

I have a suggestion which I think would be far better to many more people than the odd turbine and solar farm.

We currently have in excess of over one million private renters in receipt of housing benefits many who are in full time work due to the horrendous cost of private rentals they still need to claim housing benefit to pay the rent and we have nearly two million on the social housing waiting list.

My suggestion is this, let us have acres upon acres of caravan parks which give shelter to people.The rents people would pay on these caravans would be a fraction of the cost of private rentals, it would be temporary, affordable accommodation for private renters and for those on social waiting lists, the renter could also have the opportunity to provide their own caravan and just pay land rental and amenities or the landowner could provide the caravan and charge for the site fees.

We do have some down sides to my idea. Who wants to see the countryside covered in acres upon acres of caravans? However, they will be like solar farms and turbines only here temporarily and can be removed after they have served their purpose and you could calm local opposition with the suggestion their children or grandchildren may very well need the cheap affordable accommodation in the future.

On the positives you could cover the roofs of the caravans with solar panels and lower the renters fuel bill, it solves our immediate housing crisis, gives people a secure base, the Government would save millions in subsidies. It would create jobs on the caravan parks, but the biggest positive of all it would benefit thousands of peoplenow and in the future, not just one or two landowners looking for free money.

Andrew Finch, Shrewsbury