Representation by Anna Broadburn
- Date submitted
- 19 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I live in an area that will end up being surrounded by solar panels. Its a rural location and the land the panels will be sited on are used for cereal and crop production. I am concerned of the impact that these vast solar farms will have on not only the surrounding landscape but also the animals who live in these areas. On a daily basis we see deer running across the fields, which once hedges and fences are erected surrounding these panels they will not have free access to travel. We have a vast array of owls and other birds of prey whose lives will be impacted on by a sea of silicone rather than fields containing their food source. I'm concerned about the impact that the actual build will have on my normal life. We live down a narrow dead-end road which is poorly maintained, and I've been informed that once the panels are being installed we will have lorries constantly up and down the road for 12 hours of the day. I'm lucky if we see the farmer and the postman on a normal day. I work from home and I am concerned about the noise impact and disruption this will have on my already busy life. It also makes me more concerned as to the security of my house as there will be more traffic and people able to view and see the area who wouldn't normally be here. Rural crime isn't handled well at the best of times, and we're opening the door for people to have more access to areas they wouldn't normally frequent. We've been informed that there will be a cable corridor to the field to one side of our house. I have a horse and dogs and I'm concerned about their welfare and safety whilst this work will be ongoing. Horses are flight animals and can get easily spooked by noises, sounds and movement. I'm concerned about his anxiety throughout the work as horses like a routine and can get upset easily. Animal welfare (both domestic and wild) really needs to be taken into consideration as to the impact that this will have on them. I'm also concerned that the site opposite our house is going to house batteries. I've voiced my concerns about the fire risk to the area and also the impact a fire would be at releasing potentially toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. I didn't really get an answer from the Cottam developers about this. Also, I was told that someone would contact me to discuss the impact the scheduled build would have on us - I'm yet to hear anything back from them. These companies take great delight in stating that they are working with the local people, but they don't actually speak and reply to those who will be directly impacted by these projects. I believe there is a need for solar projects, but brownfield sites, car-parks, warehouses and even farm buildings would be better placed to house these vast projects. The Cottam project is part of several in the Lincolnshire/Nottinghamshire area that will be connecting to the Cottam Power Station. These solar projects (Gate Burton, Cottam, Tillbridge) all need to be discussed and reviewed together to really understand the impact that these projects are going to have on the surrounding farming landscape. We will be losing 10000 acres of farmland which could be used to produce food and fuel for our country. With the increase in prices of food in this country, surely we should be focusing on growing more of our own produce than importing from mainland Europe and Worldwide.