Representation by Toft cum Lound and Manthorpe Parish Council (Toft cum Lound and Manthorpe Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 8 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
Toft cum Lound and Manthorpe Parish Council lies within the South Kesteven District Council area – and comprises three small rural villages approximately two miles north of the proposed Mallard Pass solar farm development. As a Parish Council we are greatly concerned that our residents will be directly affected if this scheme is allowed to go ahead. In consideration of the proposals, as set out on the contractor’s website, we wish to register the following issues. As a general comment we are not averse to promoting low carbon and efficient forms of generating electricity but the size and proposed location of the project appears to be based upon lowest delivery cost/profit maximisation criteria rather than considerations of the wellbeing of neighbouring residents and the potential long-term impact on the surrounding area. Solar energy is touted to be one of the greenest, cleanest sources of electricity, but solar farms as proposed tend to have a deep environmental impact. The impacts include habitat loss, alteration in land use, the strain on water resources, exposure to hazardous materials, and pollution of soil, air, and water resources. We are aware of a general proposition that the solution to avoiding such impacts on the local residents is to choose locations of low-value and wastelands such as brownfield sites, disused or unusable mines, and along transportation and transmission corridors. In this scenario selecting a route along transportation corridors does not include those corridors where they pass through or adjacent to residential areas - as is the situation here. We believe the intention is to choose corridors with little or no adjacent conurbations – the opposite to what is currently proposed. Solar energy still has a long way to go before it is affordable, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Although solar energy is considered to be free of greenhouse gas emissions the lifecycle emissions of PV cells during the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and dismantlement are too significant to ignore. The land take proposed is massive and, unlike with wind power, sharing the land for agriculture uses is not an option. The project requires clearing vast tracts of land, which will affect existing land uses which include agriculture and grazing – both of which are important aspects of our local area. Additionally, habitat destruction for the wildlife will result in a large-scale displacement of wild species. The impact on one wildlife species can destroy the entire ecosystem since one species is dependent on another. When one is removed, the entire ecosystem of that species, comprised of plants, animals and birds can starve to death. The reason is that the habitat becomes less liveable for the species that are dependent on each other for survival The construction activities of a large-scale solar power plant in our area at the time of installation could increase the particulate matter in the air, leading to contamination of air and water resources. The release of pathogens present in the soil can increase the risk of air pollution. A further consideration during this stage is that the highways infrastructure in the area is not designed to carry the likely level and size of vehicles that would be associated with the construction and ongoing maintenance of such a project. We are also concerned that there is the potential for the solar panels to be damaged by storms. On top of the cost of replacing the solar panels, the damaged ones have to be handled and disposed of properly due to the toxic compounds used inside. Any mishandling would lead to high levels of pollution. How do you intend meeting this challenge safely with no impact on our communities? A solar farm of the size proposed will blight our rural area on a scale not seen before in the UK. It will be our local communities who bear the brunt and impact of the project without any direct benefit. For all the above reasons we record that the proposal is completely unacceptable to our Parish.