Representation by Matt Hancock MP
- Date submitted
- 1 February 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am writing in opposition to the Sunnica project in its current form. As a local MP I and many I have spoken to have taken issue, not with the solar farm’s existence, but with the scale and proposals in their current form. Let alone Sunnica's blatant disregard for public consultation. The batteries being uses are of particular concern due to storage when they degrade or are decommissioned which has not yet been defined. The location so close to settlements means evacuation if something was to go wrong would be near impossible. The scale of the project too is a huge issue, as it exceeds all other suggestions of its type and is covering rich fertile land. It is in all senses of the word excessive. Lastly and my most fervent criticism of this project and of Sunnica's approach to it, is the lack of consultation. Initial consultation had to be done online for COVID reasons, however, once they resumed in person Sunnica refused to send a representative. They have not engaged with the local communities once since. Make no mistake this is having a huge effect on people’s lives, many are losing their livelihoods; farms and business will be destroyed from this. Let alone the key reason people choose to live in this area (the natural beauty) is being taken away, which will devalue property and take away many of the joys of life in the area. I would reiterate my support for solar energy more broadly, but emphasise the scale of this project, its location and its lack of consideration for the local population means it cannot be allowed to go ahead in its current form. I hope you will consider these points. Thank you for your work. Matt Sunnica, have shown absolutely no regard for the people who live in the area or the devastating effect the proposals will have on their community. The plans envisage a horseshoe of development around several of our villages, turning them from rural settlements into industrial zones. The land they are building on is good rural land which has high yields and provided vital food security for the UK, which has become increasingly important in the wake of the Ukraine War and heightened international tensions. Removing this land from the rural economy will not only significantly damage the local economy but also the local way of life. It is not just the picturesque setting we are set to lose, it is our celebrated history too. The world famous Royal Worlington Golf Course is at risk from the development. There would be a significant impact on Newmarket’s Limekilns – one of the most famous training grounds in the world, and one of the reasons that Newmarket is pre-eminent as the home of horseracing, which is incredibly important. It is not only disappointing but alarming how those behind this proposal have failed to bring the community with them. Sunnica has not, as far as I know, set foot in the villages and towns affected to answer residents’ questions since July 2019. It is striking that when I held a public meeting together with Lucy Frazer, MP for South East Cambridgeshire, Sunnica didn’t bother to turn up. They have treated residents with utter contempt through their arrogant, high-handed manner. Sunnica has refused to meet me. It has refused to attend any public meetings and has been contemptuous and dismissive of my West Suffolk constituents. The developers of Sunnica have tried to hide the fact that one of their objectives is installing battery storage units rather than panelling without the consent of local residents. Such lack of transparency is an insult to the local populous. These batteries are supposedly there to store the energy generated by the solar panels, but they can also make money for the landowners by storing energy that the National Grid wants to keep for times of high demand. Even the most ardent supporter of renewable energy can surely see that putting a huge battery farm right next to villages is a bad idea. There are significant safety issues, after all, not least the risk of serious fires. The last three years have seen 38 fires at battery energy storage depots around the world. Water is no use for tackling such blazes. Fire authorities have said that once one of those fires starts, there is nothing that can be done to stop it except wait and hope that it does not lead to toxic fumes. We cannot risk this potential hazard harming our health, homes and wildlife. According to Article 7.7 of ‘The Infrastructure Planning (Electricity Storage Facilities) Order 2020’, battery storage can only be included within a Development Consent Order as an ‘associated development’. However, because Sunnica’s battery storage capacity is so significant, it is possible that the battery storage is in fact the ‘host’ project. If so, it appears the battery storage element should instead be considered through the conventional planning application process. I have even been advised that the Sunnica’s proposal won’t even help our carbon emissions – with estimates suggesting this vast development would pump out more carbon into the atmosphere over its lifetime than it actually saved! On Sunday I will lead a protest against proposals to build the UK’s largest solar and battery farm. To give you an idea of scale – the site will be the size of 2,115 football pitches, and cover large swathes of my constituency of West Suffolk, as well as South East Cambridgeshire. Sunday's march will see me standing shoulder to shoulder with a community I have had the honour of representing for over a decade, as we ramp up our campaign to save ancient villages and farmland from being changed forever. But it is not just the picturesque setting we are set to lose – it is our celebrated history too. The world famous Royal Worlington Golf Course is also at risk from the development. While there would be a significant impact on Newmarket's Limekilns – one of the most famous training grounds in the world, and one of the reasons that Newmarket is pre-eminent as the home of horseracing, which is incredibly important. Ultimately, our aim is to send the plans back to the drawing board. Specifically, to show the developers our strength of feeling and finally have our voices heard. I am a supporter of solar power. I have voiced support for solar farms in the past. I have backed solar panels on roofs, and supported solar in the right place, with strong and even enthusiastic local support. I have supported solar installations in my constituency since I became the MP in 2010, including outside Wickhambrook, in my home and at Toggam Farm. As a former Energy Minister, I am a huge champion of this agenda and I am very proud that 99 per cent of the solar on the roofs of houses and buildings in this country has been put on those roofs since 2010. So, you may ask why I am so vehemently against these plans. It is a fair and legitimate question. The answer is simple. Sunnica – the developers behind these plans – have shown absolutely no regard for the people who live in the area, or the devastating effect the proposals will undoubtedly have on the community. The current plans are like a horseshoe around several villages which will turn them from rural settlements into industrial zones. It quite simply cannot go ahead in its current state. Worse, this arrogant, high handed approach directly harms the cause of renewable power - which should be done in a way everyone can be proud of. The deeply heartbreaking events in Ukraine have reminded us of the importance of becoming energy self-sufficient once again. It was encouraging to see the Government announce this week that the UK will phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022. As we wean ourselves off of Russian gas, it is vital we renew our call for renewable energy, such as solar. We must also be creative and innovative in how we install solar panels, and ensure we install them in the right places. For instance, I believe that solar panels should be built on the roof of every new home and on the roofs of factories. Even the most ardent supporter of renewable energy can see that putting a huge battery farm right next to several villages is a bad idea. Worse still, the advice that I have received is that the Sunnica proposal will have a net-positive carbon impact over its lifetime - which would make a mockery of the net-zero ambitions and the importance of tackling climate change. Despite asking for clarification, I have never received an answer to why there is no requirement for an independent, whole-life carbon assessment to be carried out for all developments. Sunnica seems to exist only to get this planning application through and then to sell it off. Its proposal envelopes villages in the beautiful Suffolk countryside and goes right up to within a few hundred yards of houses, turning our beautiful landscape into industrialised land. Worse still a very significant chunk of the energy—a much bigger chunk than the solar energy generated—will be from a battery farm. If we need a battery farm, why site it in the middle of the beautiful Suffolk countryside not in an industrial estate where it belongs? Furthermore, there are significant safety issues which Sunnica have failed to adequately address. I was sceptical of the arguments about safety issues until I looked into them in detail. Alarmingly, there have been 38 fires at battery energy storage systems across the world in the last three years. The biggest issue with battery technology is that water cannot be used to put out fires. Fire authorities have said that once one of those fires starts, there is nothing that can be done to stop it except wait and hope that it does not lead to toxic fumes. We cannot risk this hazard harming our homes, landscape and wildlife. In areas of my constituency downwind of this proposed development, there are large areas of homes, such as Red Lodge, where this is a very significant problem. Sunnica have tried to hide the fact this is a massive battery farm with all the dangers that come from that. The lack of transparency in their plans is an insult to my constituents. You’d have thought, given the scale of the proposal, that there would be plenty of information and engagement. That’s the complete opposite of the case. It is not only disappointing but worrying how those behind this proposal have completely failed to bring the community with them, refused to attend any of the numerous local meetings and have not even tried to win over local support. The developers are being allowed to pick and choose how they get their developments through with minimal public engagement. Sunnica has refused to meet me, it has refused to attend any public meetings and has been contemptuous and dismissive of my West Suffolk constituents. It has had next to no engagement. It has not, as far as I know, set foot in the villages and towns affected to answer residents’ questions since July 2019. It is striking that when I held a public meeting together with Lucy Frazer, MP for South East Cambridgeshire, Sunnica did not even bother turning up. They have treated residents with contempt all along in their high-handed manner. This proposal should be stopped and sent straight back to the drawing board. To deliver on the noble goal of energy self-sufficiency once again, we need to bring people with us.