Representation by Nicholas Brown
- Date submitted
- 3 April 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
OBJECTION TO THE BYERS GREEN SOLAR DEVELOPMENT. I live about one and half miles from Bishopton village. Near my property Gately Moor Solar development has already been granted planning permission by Stockton on Tees and Darlington Borough Councils. This development which reaches from Redmarshall Village to Stoneny Flats Farm, Bishopton Back Lane, will span Bishopton Back Lane. This will make the countryside around here feel like a Industrial Estate. With Byers Green Solar Development only being down the road and the intention is to put Solar panels around the village too, this will further create a Industrial Feel to the area. The Screening promised will not be effective for many years and will not complete the impact desired due to the undulating landscape of the area. Our area is country side between Darlington and Stockton Tees. Used by cyclist, horse riders and walkers. Has varied Bird population. Muntjac roam the fields in this area and have recently taken up permanent residence in and around Bishopton Back Lane, leading to Bishopton. The erection of these Solar Developments will interfere with their loss of habitat. Most of the land is arable and the argument given for the Solar Developments being able to be erect here is because that the land is only grade 3b land so is not very good. Surprisingly a lot of Britains land is grade 3 land and it grows crops perfectly well. The Byers Green project is the last of about 7 others that has had permission given too. The Byers Green being one of the biggest, will certainly finish covering up the farm land. This is one project too many for the area and I believe that they do not have a connection point at the Northern Grid Transfer station at Norton yet. Their project requires miles of cabling, through fields and roads. By their work alone will cause months of disruption to the area, along country lanes, diverted traffic, traffic lights. The vehicles too big for the roads, the grass verges getting torn up by their wheels trying to pass other vehicles. These applications which have not been given really any real thought by the Councils has caused a devastating affect to the Countryside around our villages and will do so for many years. Everyone is jumping on the band wagon for renewable energy without a clear plan, this coupled with food security, good farmland is being used to house these solar panels. (Pictures showing sheep grazing around the solar panels. All the ones I have seen have never had sheep around them.) These developments have been a rush by Corporate Companies to earn money at the cost to the local people in the area. They have not even considered how it would effect people and their feelings. As a point of interest about 4 miles from where I live, there is a new housing site being built on the out skirts of Stockton on Tees. I see the developers have not included solar panels on the roofs of these new homes and still connecting gas to the houses, a prime opportunity to go green.