Representation by Dr John Baldwin
- Date submitted
- 12 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
In principle I am very much in favour of renewable forms of energy, particularly wind turbines. I am also in favour of solar panel farms of an appropriate size and in an appropriate place. However, in the case of Mallard Pass, the farm will be extraordinarily large and any attempt to mitigate the blot that it would be on the landscape would be useless. Not only will there be the panels themselves but also the containers with inverters/transformers. I do not understand why the developers wish to site the farm on good agricultural land except for the benefit they will gain from having it close to the national grid substation. It would seem to be more sensible to place such a development on a brown field site. I have noticed over the years that some of the land adjacent to Essendine and Ryhall floods in the winter but the developers seem to have taken no account of this and in fact the rain run off from the panels may make flooding even more severe, causing major impact further down stream. I understand that it will take up to two years to establish the farm and with it will come noise and pollution from traffic and installation work. I live in Uffington and will be affected by the work and the subsequent blot on the landscape but no form of compensation in the form of lower electricity bills seem to have been suggested by the developers. I am fortunate to be able to walk over much of the land where it is proposed the farm will be sited and admire an attractive quiet area with a wide variety of birds and animals on the land and in the hedgerows which will be lost if this development goes ahead. Consequently, I am very opposed to this scheme.