Representation by Grahame Radford
- Date submitted
- 27 February 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
As a local resident who supports efforts to save our planet and for many years have enjoyed the local area for walking and cycling, I am objecting to this proposal for the following reasons:- 1). This is valuable arable farmland which will be lost for many years, with no guarantee that it will ever be returned. This area makes a major contribution to the vegetable growing industry in the UK and we need to be more self sufficient. 2). The disruption to local traffic and amenities during construction, operation and eventual de-commissioning will have a major impact on the local population and wildlife for a considerable time. 3) With regard operational noise, we already have a smaller battery storage installation in Burwell which is not "quiet" by any means as there is a constant "humming" noise which can be heard by local residents. The scale of the proposed installation would mean a lot more noise during operation 24/7, disturbing the tranquility of nearby residents and wildlife. 4) The solar energy produced is not necessarily going to be of benefit the local community as the generated power is to be released into the national grid through he Burwell sub-station. 5) The installation is not necessarily going to benefit the UK economy as I understand the solar panel, a main ingrefient, will be manufactured in China and the profits from the scheme will be going to Spain. The construction is not scheduled to benefit the local workforce either as the main contractor is based in Yorkshire. 6) The battery storage compounds will take up an every large area and are a potential safety hazard, as has been experienced in other countries. 7) The amount of security fencing required will be an almost permanent eyesore on the local landscape. In addition, there are proposed to be additional 12m high installations at the substation, adding to an already unsightly installation. 8) I understand that the installation will never be classed as "green", in that it will create more carbon than it saves throughout its lifetime. In conclusion, as this proposal will be the largest scheme of its kind in Europe, I can't help thinking that this is purely a money-making scheme designed on the back of a so-called "green" lobby and will only benefit the owners. Also, in my personal opinion, the amount of capital required by the proposers to get to this stage makes me fear that the deal has already been done at a high level. However, I sincerely hope that common sense will eventually prevail and the proposal is refused.