Representation by Thomas Miller
- Date submitted
- 30 March 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I strongly object to this proposal. It is the first of 4 significant proposals in this area.It would be the largest solar farm in Europe totaling 10,000 acres. All 4 schemes should be looked at a whole and together. With regards to Cottam solar project its the loss of 3,000 acres of productive farmland. There will be major disruption over many years whilst the solar farm is built causing damage to the natural habitat and the many species that live there. I also understand that the solar panels will be fenced by high security fencing causing major disruption to the travel corridors for wild animals. It will inherently change the landscape for ever. Proposed screening will take years to be effective and change the views for the worse which will be seen for many miles around especially the B1398. Many roads around the area are country roads which are not suitable for all of the heavy vehicles needed in the construction phase. Due to the size of the panels whilst driving down the country roads with fields of panels either side will be like driving through a tunnel of industrialised land. I am not against solar for energy production but it has to be in the right places, i.e brown field sites, government should implement policy that all commercial buildings should have solar panels and all new build houses some sort of renewable energy. This is the case in other European countries so why not here. There are thousands if acres of commercial industrial roof space and disused airfields that could be utilised with no consequence to the natural habitat, food production or detriment to local communities. Solar also has limited capabilities, mainly because of the limited amount of sunlight in winter months when we need the production to be at its highest. The developer Green Island Power have made misleading claims that it will power 180,00 homes which just isn't true outside of summer months or at night. Over a year the average output will be 11% of the capacity of the solar farm which for the disruption/loss of farmland/loss of wildlife/flora & fauna is just not justifiable. This proposal will not contribute anything to the local economy in terms of jobs or bring any additional spending to the local communities. The panels will be made in China and shipped to the UK, construction workers will be specialists and not be recruited locally and when operating will produce few to no local jobs. A far better way to produce renewable power is wind turbines, they cause far less disruption in the construction stage, are not a blot on the landscape and are more productive. I appriciate that we need more renewable eneregy but this isn't the answer. It needs to be in the right places as i have said above and not in the middle of communities that will suffer as a result. I strobgly urge you to refuse the Cottam Solar Project for the above reasons.