FRIENDS of the Earth is taking the Government to court over its plans to slash financial incentives for households and communities that install solar electricity, after ministers failed to respond to concerns it set out in a letter.

Friends of the Earth wrote to Climate Change Minister Greg Barker warning that unless the Government agreed to amend its proposals by 4pm on Friday, November 11, it would commence court proceedings. The Government failed to do so, sending instead a brief holding response indicating it didn’t believe the issues raised were urgent and therefore it didn’t intend to respond within the deadline.

The legal challenge follows the announcement earlier this month of Government plans to impose lower feed-in tariff payments - cash given to households generating green electricity through solar panels - on any installations completed after December 12 this year. The CBI has condemned the move as an “own goal” by ministers.

Friends of the Earth says this cut-off point is unlawful and claims it has evidence that projects are already being abandoned and solar firm redundancies have either taken place or are being urgently considered.

Friends of the Earth’s Campaigns Director, Craig Bennett, said: “We have been left with no choice but to take the Government to court.”