Representation by David Swayne
- Date submitted
- 6 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The Gate Burton proposal is 1 of 4 Solar, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects within a few miles of each other. Together this would be the largest solar farm complex in Europe, amounting to 10,000 acres in total. At present all 4 proposal will be examined independently, which does not take into account the impact of the combined projects on the local community, environment or farming. Shouldn't these 4 proposals be examined together? On its own, the Gate Burton Energy Park has an approximate total site covering of 3.500 acres. The majority of this is productive farmland. Food security is important to the country and it is vital that productive farmland is used to grow food. There is plenty of space for solar panels on the roofs of industrial buildings, warehouses and brownfield sites (such as decommissioned power stations). Wouldn't it be better for these developers to look elsewhere? Were important factors such as brownfield site use, panel size, glare, intermittent generation capabilities, flood risk and the hazardous chemicals and fire risk of the battery storage sincerely and accurately communicated? I don't believe that they were - we are only getting to know about them now and the developer has not engaged fully and in good faith with the local community.