Back to list Oaklands Farm Solar Park

Representation by Elizabeth Ann Clarke

Date submitted
3 May 2024
Submitted by
Members of the public/businesses
  1. The proposal for the solar farm should be rejected for so many reasons. This is good farmland and in these uncertain times ,climate and political,we should ,and will need,to produce more of our own food in this country. Putting solar panels on the huge warehouses that are being constructed would be more sensible .House builders should be required to provide solar panels and battery storage on all new homes, they are making enough profits to do this. 2. The damage to the wildlife and ecosystem will be catastrophic and will spread far wider than the site alone.The hedgerows and trees which also benefit the atmosphere will be a huge loss and after the 40 years the site will have become barren due to lack of sunlight and nutrients.Who and how will that be rectified? Forty years is a long time in politics for hands to be washed but a short time for the planet and future generations to contend with this lack of forethought. 3.The flooding issues in the local area are bound to increase, there is already a problem and covered land means more flooding. 4. This construction is going to take place on a site serviced by narrow country roads suffering from neglect, they are already unsuitable for the local volume of traffic and will not tolerate the huge trucks and number of them ,needing to access the site for years! People need access to work/hospitals/shopping/recreation. Are the council prepared to upgrade all other possible routes which will also be affected BEFORE construction at the site? 5. solar farms produce power during the day. The batteries needed to store just a small quantity of power, nothing like the amount needed, cost billions, and the materials used to produce them use huge quantities of natural resources made in a country that has scant regard for climate change. 6. The fire risk from these batteries is real, as seen by electric cars, and the resulting pollution wound be horrendous for miles around. 7. The noise from the site would be continuous which will affect any nearby residents and likely cause mental health issues because of the type of sound it emits. 8. The site will need screening due to the amount of glare, a dreadful eyesore and more pollution caused by the plastic used to shield the site. 9. We should consider very carefully the damage we are thinking of causing to our environment/ countryside and should not allow ourselves to be taken in by solar hype. It has its place, but in the RIGHT place, NOT prime farmland .Other countries have found many more ways of siting solar units without the loss of green land. Please think very carefully for all our sakes and, more importantly, for the next generation.