Representation by Paul Wheeler
- Date submitted
- 16 January 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I have major concerns about this project. I find it really hard to believe that in this day and age, with clear issues with food supply, loss of natural habitats and areas of beauty, that a national infrastructure project for a solar farm, should be able to be implemented on land that is an area of natural beauty or involved in food generation. The latter two are at such a premium and define our country as a whole. There are ample rooftops on industrial buildings, existing houses and new builds as well as brownfield areas that could house solar panels without having any impact at all on visual aesthetic, food supply or natural landscape. It seems to me that this site is more of a profit based venture by non UK investors, and is not sensitive to the local area or the needs of our country to control our supply of energy locally. I also have major concerns over the impact to local wildlife, herds of deer, etc that reside in the area and the potential increased destabilisation of the soil allowing more water to enter the watercourses, which are already incapable of managing the load in some wet seasons. Overall this project has very little benefit to the local community or to the local environment, and signals again a lack of a real strategy of our government to solve the energy crisis in a practical / logical and acceptable way. I am a fan of renewable energy, already having implemented an Air Source Heat Pump in my home, but continue to be frustrated that there is very little incentive for me to add solar to my roof. If we really wanted to solve the energy crisis, make our country more sustainable and save our environment, then every household should be incentivised to add solar to their roofs and all new builds should be mandated to add solar to their roofs. I really hope this project doesn't go ahead, but what I hope for more is that the government really take a closer look at solving this issue in a much more logical way and acceptable way.