Representation by Ros Oke
- Date submitted
- 16 March 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The proposed scheme includes battery energy storage compounds (BESS) close to homes. These BESSs have a history of catching fire and the fires cannot easily be out out. The fumes emitted are highly toxic and can be lethal even in small quantities. This is a clear danger to the public. The proposed scheme will do nothing for the UK’s carbon-neutral targets, it will generate more carbon in its lifetime than it will save. This proposed scheme will repurpose good quality farmland that is needed to help increase the UK’s self-sufficiency. It is also home to 100s of species of wildlife. After this short-term (40 year) scheme is finished there is no guarantee it will be possible to return the land to good quality farmland/wildlife habitat. It is instead likely to be identified as prime land for housing/commercial development, having acquired brownfield status. There is no local or regional benefit of the scheme; it will not bring significant employment to the area, the components will be manufactured overseas and profits once the scheme is operational will benefit overseas-based Sunnica. The impact for local people will be enormous: the beautiful countryside and villages affected will be changed forever, with huge vistas of solar panels and increased commercial traffic on roads that were never built for more than local resident & farm use.