Representation by Jason Clive Morten
- Date submitted
- 14 January 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Whilst I am a supporter of green and renewable energy, I need to express my concern and objection to this proposal. It’s too big, impacts too much of the local wildlife and will increase the flooding we are seeing in the village each year due to excessive rain fall over short periods of time. Having lived in the village since 2003 we have been lucky enough to bring up our family with nature observing the diverse wildlife, flora and fauna that a rural environment provides. Each season we watch the deer’s running wild across the fields, rabbits playing on the verges, foxes, badgers and hedgehogs all making their homes in the nearby fields and wooded areas. There is a good balance here which I feel will be totally corrupted by the development regardless of the development of specific areas set aside for nature, this will not compensate for the impact you will have on the wildlife and the visual impact it will have on walkers and ramblers . During the recent pandemic many used these areas for recreation and exercise, I don’t believe this would have been the case if there had been a massive solar farm replacing the fields. My biggest concern is the actual impact on our village from a flood risk perspective. With more extreme weather events caused by global climate change we are seeing the rain runoff from the local fields overwhelming the village each year as the drains are unable to cope. I believe this issue will become many times worse if a solar farm is implemented this close to the village without extensive improvements in the drainage as more of this rain will run more quickly down towards the village following the natural gradient of the land, property will be damaged, become uninsurable and so impact its commercial value. This proposal is not part of a Government joined up strategy between the various departments and committees for energy, agriculture and climate change, this is not part of an investment in the future tackling the volatile energy prices, this is purely and simply a profit making activity from a non-British company using materials from non-British manufactures taking advantage of the lack of a joined up strategy. If we had a coherent strategy, you would not be able to destroy in demand agricultural land when there are many brown field and extinct industrial sites which would produce energy at the same efficiency levels just not at the same profit levels.