Representation by Graeme Beattie
- Date submitted
- 15 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I strongly object to this project on a number of grounds: 1. I believe these four solar projects should be considered as one. These four large projects effectively join together to produce a massive area which will impact and dominate the countryside, turning it from farmland into a sprawling electricity factory covering thousands and thousands of acres 2. This project is being proposed in a highly productive agricultural area. I am concerned about food security and cannot see the logic of building this in an area capable of producing high yielding crops. Surely large solar projects, if they can be justified at all, should go to the least productive agricultural land? 3. The size and scale of these projects are unprecedented. How many years will the build phase really be - how will the narrow country lanes cope with all the HGV activity and what impact will that have on us, the residents over a very long period of time? 4. I am concerned about the effect on the environment caused by this massive change of use. How does it effect bird life? What natural habitats will be destroyed? 5. I am concerned about the whole project carbon impact of this scheme. The logistics of producing thousands of tonnes of glass - transporting it from its point of manufacture - for something that in fact does little to enhance our energy security. In our coldest winters - with the shortest days, our most challenging times are always frosty, still, foggy days - where solar panels will contribute very little. So we still will need our gas and nuclear and perhaps coal to strike up to fill in these gaps. Very inefficient. Is it really a low carbon project? 6. I note the proposal for a massive battery storage scheme. Are there any schemes as big as this anywhere else? How safe are they? What impact are they going to have both locally and more widely and also - where are all the rare earth metals being mined? Are we sure human rights are being considered throughout the supply chain of this huge project? 7. I am certainly not against solar panels as a principle - businesses I am involved with have many thousands on factory roofs and they work well with no impact to neighbours. This project, especially when considered with the other three, is too big and in the wrong place and will dominate the locality for evermore and have a massive impact on our local environment. I therefore strongly object to this proposal.