Representation by Rachel Thorpe
- Date submitted
- 29 April 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I wish to register to have my say about Oakland’s Farm Solar Project NSIP. I am concerned about the loss of the farmland in the area that is due to be removed by the Solar Project. Not only does this eliminate more of the country’s capacity to produce its own food, but it further detaches the area’s identity from the land. The motto of South Derbsyhire is ‘E terra divitiæ’ which references the area’s richness of land - this has been previously eroded by the loss of the local coal and clay industries and is now under further attack as the farming industry is set to be reduced by projects such as this. The chances of this land ever returning to farming are low, and this will then be used as an excuse to build vast swathes of housing, irreparably changing the dynamic of the area. Solar panels could be usefully placed out of direct sight on factory rooftops (of which there are an abundance locally) rather than spoiling the existing environment. This leads to the next point of concern which pertains to the impact on wildlife of placing massive infrastructure such as this into their habitats. The region has proudly managed to go from under 1% forest region to roughly 27% in a generation – something that should be applauded and seen as a model for other areas. Projects such as this diminish such progress; having created an area that is visited by tourists and local people seeking areas of natural beauty. On a more practical level, the visual glint and glare created by such installations is a hazard to drivers, requiring further unsightly and unpleasant additions such as plastic screens. The local area has very limited safe routes for walkers or cyclists via its roads, which are narrow and not regularly maintained. Many people use the fields to walk between villages safely and the solar panels will cover routes through. In terms of driving, there has been significant disruption to local roads in recent years, as small developments can create huge backlogs in villages. The construction work will affect local roads for roughly two years. Alongside this, there will be HGVs in the area causing further damage to roads and local properties, as the area has not been designed to cope with these types of vehicles – this is already an ongoing and unsolved problem under the current circumstances before a new development is underway. Finally, the environmental disturbance regarding noise, potential fire risks and increased flooding are concerning. The disturbances created by the installation will be huge and the noise once the panels are installed will be a 24-hour issue. The battery storage facility provides a fire risk which would affect the whole local region with pollution if an incident were to occur. And the flooding in the area is already desperately isolating for the people who live in the local villages, forcing rerouting of many miles to get to work and collect children at short notice from childcare settings. Adding further hardstanding is only going to exacerbate this unsolved issue and put more properties at risk of being flooded, as water has to find new areas to soak into. The benefits of these solar panels cannot possibly outweigh the concerns of local residents.