Representation by Helen Mitchell
- Date submitted
- 25 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I strongly object to this project as this will be a huge blight on the countryside in which I live. I choose to live in the countryside for the simple reason it is the countryside. If I wanted to be surrounded by a sea of glass I would live in a town or city. Where I live I enjoy the views when driving, the views when walking, when looking out of my windows, the feeling of space, the positive effect on my mental health from being in this kind of environment rather than a built up industrialised area which is what the countryside around me will become if these projects are allowed to go ahead. They will change the whole character of the area. Public rights of way across fields will be affected visually, if they still remain at all. This is just 1 of 4 very large projects planned in very close proximity to each other which will engulf many small villages on multiple sides. Lincolnshire is a county known for its agriculture so in a time of food shortage and uncertainty this seems hugely irresponsible. Fields should be for crop growing and these projects will mean a loss of productive farmland. There will be glare, reflection, noise. Proximity of panels and battery storage to primary schools and houses is unsafe. These batteries are known to catch fire. Wildlife routes will be affected. There will loss of natural habitat for a wide range of species. I don’t believe grass and or other plants will be able to grow to underneath the vast area of panels. What about disposal of these panels at the end of their life. They are not fully recyclable. There is always a promise that land will be returned to its original state but I don’t believe this to be true. If that was the case disused power stations, coal mines would all be fields again. As these kind of sites still remain as they are, why can’t they be used for the solar projects instead of destroying another area of good quality land and countryside. I am not against solar as an energy source I just believe it should be in the correct place. They should be on all large factories, warehouses and other industrial buildings, car parks, and it should be a prerequisite that all new build housing has to have them. There should be funding, incentives, help to buy, long term payback schemes and I’m sure more people would then be inclined to put solar on their homes and businesses. These energy companies could even install them on rooftops for free. They are paying landowners to rent their land. If they offered free solar panels on my roof I would take it.