Representation by David Coates
- Date submitted
- 10 April 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
As a keen environmentalist and lover of the great outdoors I strongly object to the proposed Byers Gill Solar development on the following grounds: Solar Panels There appears to be little joined up thinking in this Government’s green agenda. The only reason Byers Gill has been proposed in the chosen location is down to grid access and connection capacity. I am not against solar panels to solar developments in the right place, but they need to be located on rooftops of distribution centres, factories and commercial buildings. Solar panels need to be sited in areas already allocated for industrial use, not on agricultural land which we desperately need for food production. It is absolutely ridiculous that the drive to produce green energy at any cost seems to ignore the fact we need to hold onto our farmland and not let developers green wash their plans, claiming this will create a sustainable future. Great Stainton Great Stainton is a hamlet of 26 houses plus a handful of outlying farms. I am from the Northeast and have family in the village. Like me, every resident opposes the plans, not down to nimbyism, but based on the destruction of a beautiful landscape and loss of prime agricultural land. Footpaths I am a keen advocate of open access and notice in the developers plans, footpaths currently enjoyed by local people, would be re-routed and worse still have 2 m fences erected on both sides of the footpath. How can this be acceptable when a walk is an opportunity to view the open landscapes, rolling farmland and Cleveland Hills beyond. I know those local footpaths were my family’s salvation during Covid and they remain an important part of each day walking their dog. No one wants to walk in an area surrounded by glass and metal panels which are over 3 metres high. Cumulative Impact I know we need to do something to bolster the supply of renewable energy. This part of the North East is already contributing massively; there are three wind farms within a 3 mile radius of Great Stainton. There are plans, already approved for 8 solar farms. How much more can these small communities be expected to bear when the cost is loss of visual amenity and the destruction of beautiful green space? What legacy are we leaving for future generations in the North? These villages are simply seen as an easy target for developers as populations are smaller and in the case of Byers Gill area, mainly elderly. Food security Surely, food security alone should be a sufficient reason to ban this solar development on fertile farmland. We import more than half of the food the UK needs. The rich farmland surrounding Great Stainton is already contributing to climate change by providing home grown wheat, barley, rape oil etc and helping reduce the need to transport food from around the world. Mental health impact [REDACTED]. Loss of wildlife In the developer’s documentation they acknowledge the existence of several endangered bird species in the area proposed for this development; skylark, tree sparrow and yellowhammer were assessed as being of up to County level importance, whilst populations of grey partridge, lapwing, curlew, and reed bunting were assessed as being of up to District level importance. Furthermore, four ponds which would be destroyed were recorded as potential habitats for great crested newts. Over 220 thousands of bats were recorded in the area including some of the rarer Pipistrelle bats which are at near threatened conservation status. How can the destruction of this habitat which I have also witnessed being home to brown hares, red deer, & badgers be a suitable site for the construction of solar panels? The destruction of habitats flies in the face of Government pledges to protect and enhance England’s wildlife and some of our rarest species The Government’s Biodiversity 2020 strategy contains an ambition to ensure that ’By 2020, we will see an overall improvement in the status of our wildlife and will have prevented further human-induced extinctions of known threatened species.’ Protecting and enhancing England’s rarest species is key to delivering this outcome.’ In summary, I am a supporter of the move to green energy and the fight against climate change however not at any cost. I urge the Planning Inspectorate to reject outright this project and prioritise the interests and concerns of our communities, our wildlife and agricultural heritage.