Representation by Marie Durham
- Date submitted
- 2 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Dear Sir/Madam Re Mallard Pass Solar Farm, Stage two consultation Feedback. My name is Marie Durham I live at [Redacted] Stamford. My partner Tarquin Taylor and my son [Redacted] also live with me Further to my last email dated December 2021 about this proposal, I have now looked further into this project, I am completely opposed to this project because:- 1. the size being nearly 4 times larger than any existing solar site in the country, it is going so majority of it in Rutland which is the smallest county in England. 2. The wildlife including their muntjacs will and could be harmed by the solar panel supporting legs. 3. Hundreds – if not thousands of 3.5-metre-high panels, 84 containers housing inverters/transformers and a 2-metre security fence with security lighting and cameras will turn our beautiful tranquil countryside into an industrial estate. A tragedy & an absolute eyesore. 4. The lanes are not suitable for the 54 – 2 way HGV lorry movements each day. Nor are they suitable for the increased traffic caused by up to 400 workers on site. We will have cyclists and horse riders being put at risk – along with young children accessing their schools. 5. Those 400 workers on site will virtually create another village – for 2 years at the very minimum – and the cars/vans & lorries they will be using will add to the traffic problems & risks. 6. The destruction of excellent quality agricultural land at a time when we cannot produce enough food in the UK is unbelievably bizarre – and all because the storage facilities happen to be available. 6. But – just how much energy will be produced in practice? Given that reports show that solar panels are the least effective way to collect energy. And if they are deemed to be the preferred way forward – why doesn’t the Government back the use of them and encourage manufacture of the panels in Great Britain – rather than having to rely on China to produce them & let a Canadian company, [Redacted], that is currently under investigation – manage the project? 7. We should be putting solar panels on every new house every new factory unit and on land that cannot be used for farming, this project is only a money making exercise as if it was not we would be looking at as I said houses and factory units being made efficient for solar instead of covering good quality land, if we put solar on houses and factory units this would not make the electricity companies money, the electricity companies would have to buy from the private people instead of selling to us at considerably over priced (at the moment you get 3.9p to give to the National Grid and we have to pay anywhere between 24 and 30 per unit) so as I say this is only to make money not an environmentally the good product. This should not go ahead. Yours sincerely Marie Durham The solar park that is proposed is the largest in Europe which has been planned without a lot of thought for wildlife the run-off of rainwater and the villages surrounding it, I am only quarter of a mile at the most from the nearest point which seems very concerning as it’s U shapes around one of the local farmers who looks like he is putting his land up but none are exactly in front or to the close proximity to his farm. We are using the land at the moment for farming cereals and some is livestock, we are short of food in this country anyway which we import more than we should so why don’t we put solar on Brownfield sites or on top of every newbuild house which, we building thousands at the moment of which the councils most of the time don’t like but all roofs can be sold tiled roofs now. Stamford was voted one of the best places to live a few years ago and it is a historical town the area is one of outstanding beauty with beautiful villages which will be destroyed by a massive project like the one that is proposed. We should be putting a solar panels as well on the side of hills which is a perfect angle for the Sun to hit which then does not need as much height and does not need to use good quality farmland it could use scrubland if we have to put it all over this country of ours. The environmental footprint of the making of these solar panels which will probably be all made in China which has to import again everything to this country and then the environmental footprint of building the actual farm and carbon footprint will be massive a bit like electric cars. I would like you to inform me of any changes decisions and agreements with land owners as this appeal case design move forward hopefully not where it is planned hopefully on as I said before Brownfield sites or on top of roofs two houses. This is a project that should not go ahead as planned and as large or in this area. [Redacted]