Representation by Simon Lyell
- Date submitted
- 3 May 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The project will take 400 acres of good quality farmland out of production, farmland that would be better used to produce food locally rather than importing it (which in itself has a greater carbon footprint). The natural habitat on the site will likely be destroyed as hedges and trees will be removed and heavy machinery will churn up the turf. Once the solar farm is decommissioned it is highly unlikely that the land will be returned to agricultural land once more. Building a solar array such as this right outside the Walton on Trent conservation area will have a negative impact on the conservation area itself, spoiling the views. Also, the hard-standing used to build the roads and for siting the solar arrays will increase run off in an area where flooding is already an issue.