Representation by Stephanie O'Flaherty
- Date submitted
- 12 January 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am strongly opposed to the Mallard Pass development. Not because I am opposed to solar panels but because I am opposed to solar panels being installed on agricultural land. Solar panels should be installed on all large industrial buildings and I cannot believe that the government doesn’t make this a pre-requisite for all new builds. Countless new distribution centres, warehouses and supermarkets have been built in the midlands recently, none of which have them installed - it is criminal. They provide electricity at source for the companies that need it and surplus can then be sold back to the grid. Installing solar panels on agricultural land is entirely the wrong strategy country wide but especially in Lincolnshire which has the richest soil in the UK. We are a growing population and we require cheap, locally sourced food to feed ourselves. The local area is also rich in bird species and they require the ground to be easily accessible to provide food and natural habitat. Not to mention all the other species which live in the area including wild deer, badgers etc. The presence of solar panels is a visual blot on the landscape which is very flat and the huge scale do the development will be visible for miles around. There will be a significant impact on the local communities during the construction phase including increased traffic and road noise and the local infrastructure will not support this without causing hazardous driving conditions which is bound to lead to accidents. The scale of the project is out of hand and way bigger than any other similar application in the Uk. The developers are not a trusted and established business. They are sourcing the solar panels from companies who recruit workforces from parts of China who are incredibly poorly treated and this is unacceptable for government backed projects. There is also an increased flood risk where solar panels are installed and rainwater is unable to drain effectively. These are just some of the reasons why this development should not go ahead.