Representation by Katrina Morton
- Date submitted
- 29 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The Cottam solar project is now one of three applications that have been submitted and are at the pre-examination stage; a fourth application is in the pipeline, yet all of these are being considered individually. I believe this is unreasonable. Should one of these get approval then a precedent has been set. The cumulative impact of these four proposals would be the loss of approximately 10,000 acres of agricultural land, with a significant impact on communities, landscape and wildlife. It would be the largest solar farm in Europe! There are further solar farm proposals in the Boston and Horncastle area, along with one on the Rutland and Stamford border. This is not simply a case of the West-Lindsey area of Lincolnshire ‘taking one for the team’, but, on the face of it, becoming the solar farm ‘face’ of the UK. I recognize that there is a need to decarbonize our economy and that this is urgent. Renewable energy will play a part in the country’s future strategy. However, there has been no specific targets set for the contribution by solar. It has a part to play but it is limited because it provides power intermittently and least power when it is needed most, e.g. winter evenings. The suggested maximum wattage production per day of the Cottam project cannot be achieved on a daily basis. Nor will the community it impacts get the benefit of cheaper, greener energy directly as it will go into the national grid for distribution. I am concerned that this and other proposals in this local area will have an impact on local food production, with the loss of agricultural land and crops as well as a wider impact on the food security of the UK. I can only imagine that those who are currently employed to farm and care for this landscape will lose their jobs. This is a different skill set required to those who would construct and install this solar farm and is in no way a guarantee that jobs will be generated for the local population. Surely there are brown belt areas that are more suitable for development? The decommissioning of the power stations should have enabled this land to be earmarked for renewable energy solutions, yet in some area’s permission has been given for housing. I don’t believe that newly built property, either housing or commercial properties, have a requirement to have solar panels fitted. Why is this? It would directly reduce bills. As a household that has installed solar panels and purchased batteries to store the energy, I am acutely aware of the reduction in our energy use from the grid since this installation. I wonder whether the 'availability' of this land is one of the most likely reasons for the suggested siting, not whether it is the most suitable. Screening proposals have been made, but these would not be sufficient. This project (and the others) run down the valley toward the river Trent. The B1398 runs along the top of the escarpment. This road, designated as an Area of Great Landscape Value, affords a clear aerial view of the land as it falls away. Screening, will be unable to block the view of thousands of acres of mechanized solar panels, some of which could be 4.5 meters high. I am a regular user of Lincoln Cliff Road and A1500 (Tillbridge Lane), travelling for both domestic purposes and pleasure. My family has both cycled and used public footpaths around the villages and roads in the area of this proposal. I have enjoyed the landscape, nature and wildlife that we have seen, including muntjac and roe deer as well as badgers and foxes. The significant use of heavy plant and equipment for construction along with the 2 year plus time frame, would I fear, have a detrimental impact on the enjoyment of residents and visitors to this area, but more importantly the mental well-being of those who are in closer proximity to this massive infrastructure project. All wildlife would be negatively affected. Britain as a whole is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and such combined large scale projects would not be an investment in our wildlife.