Representation by Rosa De Simone
- Date submitted
- 12 March 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Britain faces a worsening agricultural crisis if it presses ahead with turning thousands of acres of land into solar farms to meet net zero carbon targets. If the proposals are given the go-ahead, it could take as much as 150,000 acres of agricultural land out of production. The change will increase Britain’s dependency on food imports. Solar farm development is best located on lower quality agricultural land, avoiding the most productive and versatile soils. Brownfield first approach to solar should be adopted. We need to be smart in our approach. It makes no sense to let the countryside become a patchwork quilt of solar panels. We've no doubt it would have a detrimental effect on the horseracing industry. If Newmarket wants to remain the world centre of horseracing it can't afford to have Sunnica as its neighbour. The process seems to be all about the developer. They can get away with doing the bare minimum. The first many knew about the scheme was when a brochure in a white envelope addressed only to ‘The Resident’ was posted through our letterboxes. Many mistook it for junk mail and threw it straight into their recycling bins. Sunnica offered online ‘webinars’ but a significant proportion of the population are older people who don’t have access to a computer. In some areas, there is no internet connection at all. Representatives of Sunnica have still to attend any public meetings in the area. The solar panels would almost reach people’s back gardens and in Isleham. Even the most ardent supporter of renewable energy can see that putting a huge battery farm right next to villages is a bad idea.