Representation by julie mann
- Date submitted
- 12 May 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I object 100% to the Byers Gill solar development and urge the planning inspectorate to reject this planning application. The proposal for the Byers Gill Solar farm is excessive and a total desecration to the landscape, with six separate sites covering over 2000 acres on top of eight other solar developments already approved in the area. This concentration of solar farms threatens the livelihood's of local people, destroys the beauty of the landscape and disregards local heritage and conservation village status. Large-scale solar farms are increasingly proposed on completely inappropriate sites, despite viable alternatives like utilising the roofs of tower blocks and warehouses or developing the expansive areas of brownfield land available in this area of the North East of England. Prime agricultural land should not be sacrificed for solar installations when there are brownfield and industrial sites are readily available. Both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss criticise the use of solar on agricultural land, dismissing them as a blight on the landscape. Furthermore, solar panels in the countryside are disliked by many rural Conservative MPs. Solar farms swallow up vast amounts of farmland for minimal electricity generation compared to wind turbines, nuclear or other alternatives. Solar power stations in rural and agricultural areas threaten delicate ecosystems and destroy a vast acreage of precious farmland. The government's assurances regarding the protection of prime agricultural land in the pursuit of net-zero emissions are meaningless if developments such as Byers Gill are allowed to proceed. Byers Gill has been graded as 3B land in a cynical attempt to force through these plans. Developers RWE have demonstrated blatant disregard for community well-being through a complete avoidance of meaningful engagement for example holding an event in Stockton town centre 20 minutes drive from the affected area when there was a village hall available in Bishopton as a perfect venue. There are multiple other examples demonstrating the arrogance of RWE in their lack of liaison with local people, these have been summarised by a fellow member of the community, such was the disregard for our collective involvement in the plans. It's crucial that this proposal be rejected in favour of more sustainable and efficient alternatives.