🧑‍⚖️ Miliband’s public line: “We must protect communities from climate impacts”

He frequently highlights flood risk as a major concern, especially after high-profile storms like Storm Babet.

He’s expressed sympathy for affected residents and called for “stronger investment in flood resilience.”

In public statements, he frames this as part of a “just transition” — protecting communities while decarbonising the economy.


👉 It’s a good soundbite. But it’s not matched by policy reality.

💥 Policy reality: Greenbelt solar expansion, zero grid capacity, no flood defence

As Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Miliband is:

1. Driving through massive solar and battery projects across England, including Doncaster, through the NSIP fast-track process.

These projects often target cheaper greenbelt or farmland, which are:

Natural soakaway and floodplain areas.

Vital buffers against surface water flooding.


Covering them in panels and access roads increases runoff and flood risk downstream.

2. Ignoring grid bottlenecks while accelerating deployment.

He is pushing gigawatts of solar generation into grid-constrained zones like Thorpe Marsh, Stainforth, and Fenwick, with no matching flood mitigation or infrastructure upgrade.

That means more land use pressure without real local benefit.



3. Doing nothing to prioritise flood defence investment.

Doncaster communities like Haggs Wood have had repeated investigations — but the money goes to subsidising solar, not culvert upgrades.

The Section 19 reports keep saying the same thing: drainage failures, lack of maintenance, predictable hotspots.



4. Centralising power and bypassing local accountability.

Under Miliband’s clean power agenda, large solar NSIPs can be approved nationally, limiting local communities’ ability to object.

That strips residents of democratic control over land that directly affects their flood risk.
🧭 The hypocrisy in one sentence

> Miliband tells flood victims he’s concerned about their suffering — while his Net Zero policies make it more likely they’ll flood again.
🏘️ Real-world example: Stainforth / Haggs Wood

2019 flood — devastation, promises made.

January 2025 flood — another Section 19 report.

Same causes: poor drainage, blocked culverts, underinvestment.

At the same time, large-scale solar and BESS projects are being advanced nearby on floodplain and farmland.


No serious action on flood defences — but rapid action on land grabs for solar.

🔥 Why this matters politically

It exposes Net Zero policy as detached from community reality.

It undermines trust in politicians — because people hear one thing and see the opposite.

It proves the system is policy-driven, not outcome-driven — the target is “70 GW of solar,” not “dry homes in Doncaster.”
🧠 If Miliband was serious about protecting communities…

He would:

Freeze development on floodplain farmland until proper drainage infrastructure is in place.

Prioritise flood defence funding ahead of new solar NSIPs.

Give local authorities real power to reject developments that worsen flood risk.

Rebalance Net Zero policy to focus on resilience and sovereignty, not imported solar panels.

Bottom line:
Miliband’s public concern is performance.
His policies are what actually matter — and they’re making communities like Stainforth more vulnerable, not less.