Representation by Andrew Jenkins
- Date submitted
- 16 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I wish to object to the Mallard Pass Solar Farm project. i) It is totally out of scale for the landscape that will be affected by the development and will have a detrimental effect on local communities and the wider environment. ii) it is an inefficient use of good quality agricultural land. Taking this land out of production will increase the UK dependance on imported foods and lead to an increase in carbon footprint / food miles. iii) Solar farms are not an efficient way to generate renewable energy. Offshore (NOT onshore) wind, tidal and nuclear are more efficient. iv) There is no need for this development. Solar can be applied to buildings, over car parks and brown field sites. There is enough of these locations in the UK to meet our needs without damaging open countryside. v) There are already too many speculative solar farm application in Lincolnshire and East Anglia. The main driver of these applications is developer profit NOT meeting our Net Zero carbon targets. The Inspector should acknowledge this. vi) The nearby Welland valley is recognised as an area of archaeological importance for Bronze age and Iron Age settlement. Construction of the solar farm will significantly damage the setting and potential archaeology of the area vii) The development of the solar farm will have a detrimental effect on local wildlife viii) There are concerns about the sourcing of solar panels and their impact on raw materials, carbon impacts of production and human rights in countries where these are sourced. ix) I do not believe the local communities that would be surrounded by this solar farm have been properly consulted or their concerns taken into account by the developers