Representation by Ormond James Hooper
- Date submitted
- 29 April 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
With an increasing focus on domestic food production, and given international food security concerns and global warming trends, the proposal to use productive farm land for a solar energy facility cannot be acceptable. With the long-term forecast for increasingly heavy rainfalls and so much UK farmland under flood this winter/spring (and predicted to be the case in the future), current productive farm land, which does not flood, surely needs to be retained. There must be more appropriate locations for the development of solar energy production e.g. redundant industrial sites, brownfield land etc. The detrimental effect and negative visual impact on the landscape and the rural character of the area from solar arrays, containers, high fencing and security cameras cannot be ignored. Additionally, with the proposed site only accessible using narrow lanes, the local road infrastructure will not cope with construction traffic. Significant damage to verges and hedgerows is inevitable, as would yet more damage to rural lane road surfaces that already suffer from severe pothole issues and significant damage, especially where the tarmac surface meets the verge. Even the approach to the area from major trunk roads is extremely restricted given the weight/width limit over the Chetwynd Bridge on the A513 and no real evidence that the proposed Walton Bridge replacement / bypass will be constructed in time for the proposed development. Oaklands Farm is in such a rural location that there are no transport routes around the area that can be considered as suitable for construction vehicles - as evidenced by the current 7.5 tonne vehicle weight limit on all local roads. This proposal should therefore be refused. However, if the proposed development is approved, then certain assurances must be received from the developer, along with an appropriate and enforceable none compliance rectification mechanism, so as to restrict the negative visual impact and to minimise the detrimental effects on an otherwise rural landscape and environment: 1. Provide a reasonable margin of undeveloped land between the solar arrays and local lanes / footpaths. 2. The early development of substantial hedgerows to screen the solar arrays along lanes bordering the proposed site where these do not already exist, notably along Catton Lane where current hedgerows are minimal or none-existent. 3. Prompt repair and restoration of damage to roadways, verges and hedgerows etc which will inevitably occur during the construction phase given the unsuitability of the local road network to accommodate construction traffic. There should be a clear and simple process in place for local residents and other parties to report such issues, and governance in place to ensure repairs are made promptly and to an appropriate standard.