Representation by Sara Belton
- Date submitted
- 19 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I object to this proposal for the following reasons: Inadequate level of consultation My understanding is that there are actually 4 solar projects being proposed in this area. The question arises as to why they are not being considered as one. Given that the 4 projects would result in the largest solar farm in the whole of Europe, all in this local area, surely the projects should be considered as one? Considering them separately results in a lack of transparency- even if residents were informed about a proposal, they may have ‘missed’ information on other projects, assuming they had already seen the information on ‘the’ solar farm. I myself had to be told by a neighbour that there were actually 4 different proposals in the area and that the ‘map’ I had seen was actually only just for one farm! Surely ‘consultation’ should include full and factual information- material on the solar farm project(s) needs to be transparent and be presented as it will be experienced i.e. one project which constitutes the largest solar farm in Europe. I feel as though I am only just finding out about the true scale of the project, the realistic energy output levels, the height of the panels and the issues with glare produced by them.Therefore, the level of consultation to date for residents is not adequate. Site suitability At a time of record food inflation, the question also arises as to why we are permitting highly productive agricultural land to be used for solar farms, particularly when there are brownfield sites and/or less productive agricultural land areas available. Whilst utilising such sites/areas may involve more expense for the developers of the project(s), one would hope that maximising profit for these large developers (and shareholders) would not be prioritised over the valid objections being raised by residents. It has been suggested that the land can still be farmed, in-between and under the panels. How can combine harvesters weave between panels to harvest wheat? I heard a representative for the solar project arguing on radio that sheep can graze inbetween solar panels. Sheep are often farmed on land which is not viable for other types of farming. This is highly productive farmland which is viable for other types of farming. Brownfield sites and/or poor agricultural land have not been identified for this proposal. Further, the many different ‘patches’ of land which have been identified in the proposals, together with the way in which they seem to be located a long distance from the grid, raises the question as to whether or not the land as been targetted for development on the basis of suitability for the project or on the basis of who wants to sell their land, regardless of how appropriate it is or its impact on the people who actually live here. Impact on residential amenity Given the size of the project, the landscape will be absolutely dominated by 4.5m high mechanised solar panels. This will not be a small, ‘discrete’ farm, protected from view. Instead, the project would completely dominate the landscape with ugly panels, turning the land into one large mirror. The panels would be particularly visible from places such as the Lincoln Cliff Road (B1398) which, I believe, is designated as an area of great landscape value. Consequently, this proposal would not protect the distinctive character of the surrounding area with respect to the design or scale of the project(s). We moved to this area to enjoy the countryside, to take our daughter out for walks in the countryside and to teach her about wildlife. This would have a hugely negative impact on our lives as a result. Impact on wildlife Panels, particularly if enclosed by fencing, will limit if not prevent the movement of the wildlife we see here, such as deer. Glentworth means ‘enclosure frequented by birds of prey’. The buzzards and other birds of prey circle over the cliff seeking food. How will they be able to hunt effectively if their land is covered with panels which will not only hide their prey but blind them with glare reflecting off the panels? Usefulness In the budget speech, Jeremy Hunt outlined how the government had already increased substantially both solar and wind power as alternative sources of energy. He went on to state that it was important now to move forward on other, more reliable forms of energy production. As he himself said, the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. Therefore, why are we now considering installing the largest solar farm in Europe? When those more reliable forms of energy production are installed, what will we do with the millions of solar panels littering the countryside, add them to landfill?