Representation by James Allison
- Date submitted
- 7 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The proposed 'West Burton Solar Project' is totally inappropriate in terms of scale and size for the area. This is before we even consider the fact that it is just one of several similar solar farm applications within a 6-7 mile radius!! This is clearly the strategy of some very clever consultants acting on behalf of apparently separate developers to increase their chances of approval, whereas in reality all of these proposals (Cottam, Tillbridge, West Burton, Gate Burton etc.) are effectively one single massive solar farm in all but name. As such they should be treated as a single application for a NSIP and NOT judged separately, given their cumulative effect on the area. The proposed development is flawed for a whole range of other reasons too. Lincolnshire is one of the UK's 'breadbaskets' and is responsible for producing a substantial amount of our food. Taking thousands of acres of highly productive agricultural land out of production is totally incompatible with both climate change targets and the government's stated aim of increased food security. The visual impact will also be severely detrimental to the rural character of the area and will in turn negatively affect the mental health and wellbeing of local residents due to the loss of amenity. There will also be a loss of habit for wildlife. The current rural nature of the area means that we are blessed with relatively high numbers of owl's, buzzards, hares and other wildlife which would be considered rare sights in other parts of the country. The traffic impact on the road network in the area is also a major concern. With the exception of the A156 intersecting a small area of the far western periphery and A1500 on the northern boundary, the area of the proposed solar farm is only served by an array of narrow, single track rural minor roads, which are wholly unsuitable for the construction traffic that would be generated by such a large scheme. There are also major concerns regarding what arrangements there would be for clean up of the sites should they be built. Once the installations have come to the end of their serviceable life (or indeed if the operator ceases to exist!), who will be responsible for decommissioning, safe disposal of the environmentally hazardous panels and restoration of the agricultural land!? Ultimate responsibility and financial liability for this should rest with the landowners, as their agreement/permission in principle to site these solar farms on their land is the only reason these proposals are being made in the first place! Fire safety is another potential issue. The shear scale of these proposals means there will be large areas not easily accessible by any road or even by foot. If such areas are to include battery installations, how would the risk of fire be adequately managed? Our summer's are forecast to get hotter and drier (see 2022's record breaking extreme temperatures as a good example!). It doesn't leave much to the imagination for tinder dry undergrowth/scrub etc within these solar farm installations to combine with lithium batteries and a lack of fire engine access, water supply etc to create the conditions for fires! Finally I would like to emphasise that I am not anti-renewable energy or anti-solar. I believe there is huge potential for both in the correct settings and when used appropriately. For example, solar panels are best on building roofs and indeed it should have been made mandatory in the building regulations long ago for new buildings to have solar panels. I just believe that these particular proposals are totally inappropriate and should be refused.