Representation by Karen Elisabeth Lumsden
- Date submitted
- 9 September 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Key Impacts and concerns include: Inappropriate size of the development which will impact not only the village boundaries and cause enforced conurbation development and lack of distinct historical boundaries but also will cause harm to wildlife nesting and breeding areas across the fields. Any impact upon the waterways/ streams and marsh lands will cause negative impact upon the water courses which run through my property and potentially increase the risk of localised flooding as run off ponds and the Calleywell stream pass through my property. Impact on housing price will negatively impact my grade two listed property as the immediate views on two sides of my property will be affected by the solar development both from the main house and the lodge building and barn. Previous village development with large lorries have caused building infrastructure issues and this is a grave concern if large vehicles thunder past the property as current field access and egress to fields is opposite my property. For the past thirty years I have regularly walked my dogs using a number if not all the existing footpaths and bridleways across the fields to Mersham and also across towards the converter station. The loss of these paths removes the links to our predecessors and the history particularly relevant to our village. The dark skies which are a feature of the area and allow the natural breeding cycles of mammals, birds, e.g. owls, kestrels, hawks will be affected with associated noise pollution, impacting on the insect and invertebrate population. Currently providing homes to the great crested newt and the marsh frogs on our property, with visiting ducks and coots, there is real concern that this development will affect adversely. The boundary fencing of the development will blight the access to the village and will cause the devastation of historical hedgerows which landowners of properties themselves are not allowed to remove as it impacts upon the village local plan. The loss of farming land and the impact upon the food chain will affect both the local area and the national requirement for the UK to be more self sufficient in farming produce as seen during COVID where we cannot rely on overseas and out of season foods and we have to reduce food miles. It appears that categorising the land as poorer quality is more financially driven rather than seen as an investment for food production.