In the town of Balcombe, last summer's protests against fracking — the method by which natural gas or oil is extracted through fractures induced in the deepest rock strata underground — have borne fruit.

The residents of the West Sussex village have formed a cooperative, Repower Balcombe, which aims to source energy solely from renewable sources, making particular use of solar panels.

So far, £300,000 has already been raised, which will make it possible to install on the roofs of homes and farm buildings a photovoltaic capacity equivalent to 7.5 per cent of the village's energy needs.

"We all need energy, but fossil fuels are no longer the only option," said Repower Balcombe spokesperson Joe Nixon, who believes solar panels could offer a cleaner alternative to fracking.

Each structure installed should yield, over the course of 20 years, 5 per cent of the initial investment, which Repower members will subsequently reinvest in a community fund.