Representation by Chloe Allport
- Date submitted
- 28 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am strongly opposed to the Mallard Pass Solar Farm on agricultural land either side of the East Coast Main Line near Essendine on 2,105 acres of land – green land, farming land. I do not accept that this is a sensible environmental or social decision for the following reasons: I am very concerned about the loss of agricultural land for local food consumption in the UK. This is particularly concerning to me at a time of global food insecurity. I do not agree with the reduction in agricultural land for a project of this scale. We need to increase our local food production and not decrease it to support a more sustainable food supply, which we can control ourselves. Solar panels should be erected on brownfield sites, all new housing and all commercial buildings. It is against our national interesting to remove farm land for this sort of development. I am concerned about the visual impact. The scale of the farm is insurmountable and will cause huge visual pollution to many people in the local area. The proposed site is equivalent to 1,300 football pitches and 10 times larger than the largest solar farm currently in the UK. It is larger than the area of Stamford. I note that several villages will be surrounded by solar panels. Stamford is also a tourist destination due to its beautiful historical buildings. This affects Essendine, Carlby, Braceborough, Greatford, Barholm, Uffington, Ryall and Belmesthorpe in particular. It affects another 10 villages within a 3 mile radius, as well as being under 1 mile from Stamford. I am horrified at the thought of looking at solar panels mounted up to 3.3m high spread across 2,105 acre site of open countryside adjacent to many local villages, and less than 1 mile from Stamford. I am horrified that we will also be looking onto 2m high security fencing, CCTV and security lighting to 3.5m around the solar panel fields. Added to that will be inverters and transformers dotted across the site in large unsightly containers emitting significant and constant noise. I am very concerned about damage to local biodiversity. I believe this proposal along with its 3.3m high solar panels and 2m security fencing will significantly damage our local ecosystem and adversely risk large amounts of local wildlife. Every type of insect, land animal, and bird depends on the ecosystem. There is an abundance of wildlife in the area where the solar site is proposed. I do not agree with the destruction of green sites for the development of this sort of project as it will decrease the potential for natural carbon capture and destroy the biodiversity of plants, insects and animals in the area and nature’s food chain. I am very concerned about the increased risk from flooding. This will cause further flood risk to the area, which has suffered an enormous amount of flooding in recent years. This is neither good for homes nor for the soil in the local area. This is also certainly not good for the environment. The run-off characteristics of rainwater from solar panels is different to rainwater falling straight to the ground. I am very concerned about traffic disruption and damage. The construction phase will take up to 2 years with all HGVs, abnormal loads and workers’ construction traffic coming through or past the outskirts of many local villages, with the major impacts through Great Casterton, Ryhall and Essendine. Can you imagine living near this? What will this do to the air? There will be additional carbon released into the air from all the extra traffic. This will create added noise, pollution, and damage to the local area. I am also very concerned about the negative impact of the disturbance on bio-diversity down more rural side lanes. And the cabling to the new sub-station may now run through Essendine causing even more disruption and damage to roads and verges and pavements on the A6121. I am also concerned about fire risk from the enormous batteries which could still be housed on the site. Finally, I am hugely concerned about the investigation regarding the forced use of labour in the supply chains of the primary developer, [Redacted].