Representation by Lorraine Leese
- Date submitted
- 1 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
My comments and objections are outlined below: 1. This is just one of 4 NSIP projects within the same area of Lincolnshire, covering over 10000 acres of arable land, and would be the largest in Europe. More applications for further land to be utilised for solar farms are being unveiled almost weekly. There has been very little consultation with the public and community to the point that there are some that are not even aware it is being proposed or the consequences to their community. 2. Lincolnshire is a farming county. At a time when there are food shortages, we need to be ensuring that we have food, as well as energy security. Not only are the proposals looking to take away 10000 acres of arable land to make way for solar farms, new housing developments are being approved without the need for the developers to install solar power. If solar power is so important and is so efficient, then why is this not being used as the first step in increasing energy security, along with using acres fo warehouse and industrial space. As a farming county, we have the Lincolnshire Agricultural Show, which shows how important this industry is to the community. We will lose not only food production but the skills and jobs that go along with it. 3. As a community we have long enjoyed the open farm views that the solar farms will destroy. It is clear that 10000 acres of solar panels will dominate the landscape and that does not even include the 3 metre high batteries that are required. 4. We have a lot of local walks that many in the community use daily for exercise, to walk their dogs, exercise their houses and to get a great boost to mental health. instead of looking at the beautiful wildlife we currently have surrounding us, we will be subjected to acres upon acres of solar panels. 5. The proposal will see the world's largest Battery Energy Storage system installed and along with that the potential for fire and chemical outbreaks, damaging local communities, endangering life and people's properties, not to mention the devastating effect on wildlife. Surely these Battery Storage systems should be located as far away from local communities as possible to reduce the risk and should be located on brownfield sites close to the Grid connection. 6. Like many of the solar farm proposals in Lincolnshire, I can see that location has not been a priority, rather what land can be purchased in bulk seems to be the prime motive, regardless of surroundings. Gate Burton is an historic area, and the village itself is a Heritage Village. 7. Wildlife. It seems that there has been a complete disregard for wildlife. We can't claim to be 'green' when installing alternative energy solutions whilst completely neglecting and overriding the other aspects of the environment - including our ever dwindling wildlife populations. Looking at other solar farms, already installed, promises of protecting wildlife have not been followed through. Evidence of wildlife, such as hedgehogs, foxes, deers and badgers, dying because they are enclosed in small areas due to the impenetrable wildlife fencing and unable to travel along wildlife corridors to access food and water, shows how the developers have completely disregarded wildlife in exchange for profit. This area has nesting kestrels, owls etc plus ample other wildlife such as foxes, badgers and hedgehogs that will be seriously impacted by these short-sighted proposals. There has been no effort by the proposed developers of the solar farms to even provide wildlife corridors and explain ho they will compensate for their loss of habitat. Glare from the solar panels has been shown to kill birds. Planting a few wild flowers for the bees is not even 1% of what their obligations should be. 8. Construction will take around 4 years. This will have a huge impact on all the surrounding villages and communities, as well as the wildlife (again). Walking in the countryside is one of the prime reasons we moved to this area. Watching wildlife on our walks is hugely important for our mental health. Looking at solar panels and seeing dying animals will not be. 9. It is clear that the consultation by the developers has been, at best, poor. Many in my village are not even aware of the proposals, let along how big and expansive the solar farm will be. They do not even realise that there will be giant battery structures and the safety issues that they propose. Unfortunately, little has been communicated to the community about the huge impact this development will have on our and surrounding village life. Were brownfield sites considered? Where is the evidence of this or have the developers simply just grabbed the first bundles of land that they could. I am not against solar power in general, however there needs to be very careful consideration of where they are sited and the impact on farming, food production, wildlife and the community. They should not be sites surrounding multiple villages and condemning certain areas of the UK to their negative impact. None of this has been considered or communicated fully to the community. 10. I am not against green energy, however solar farms are not an effective solution to the energy situation in this country. Solar panels provide power intermittently, they are entirely reliant on good daylight and sunshine. Even on a wonderfully sunny day, they are only capable of harnessing about 20% of the solar energy for use as energy. They will provide the most power when we least need it - Summer and the least power when we do need it in Winter. Using arable land, when we need to food security in the UK, is an inefficient use of land and appears to be a knee-jerk response to providing alternative energy. We need to assessing the location of solar farms, so that their relative inefficiency does not outweigh the more productive use of farming land, or outweigh the enjoyment of the area that the community currently enjoy. Based on all this, I do not believe that the developers have engaged fully with the community and picked land for solar use in good faith. There are much better brownfield and industrial site alternatives, and new housing should only be passed with solar panels installed. 11. Solar farms are meant to address an environmental concern about the production of energy, as well as increasing our supply of energy. Solar Farms are far from ;green'. They are constructed overseas, primarily China - who are the main contributors to climate change and pollution. They then have to be shipped to the UK. Research shows that it takes at least 10 years of Solar Power use to offset their carbon footprint. In summary, I feel that the developers have not acted in good faith with a) consultations with the community and b) in the site locations. Solar Farms are ineffective, providing power when its not needed and useless when it is. They have a huge carbon footprint, are significantly damaging to wildlife and to people's enjoy of the community that they live in. Last year, the Government said that local communities would have a say in whether green energy would go ahead in certain areas of the country, it seems instead that our voices are struggling to be heard.