Representation by Redmarshall Parish Council (Redmarshall Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 15 May 2024
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
This is one of many proposals for very large scale solar farms in and around the Parish of Redmarshall. There is an existing solar farm nearby off Letch Lane and plans have been approved for other solar farms just a few miles away in the Thorpe Thewles area and on land in and immediately around Redmarshall. The Parish Council fully appreciate and support the need for renewable energy sources to be developed in this country – but feel that the number of proposals for solar farms in the area around Redmarshall is excessive. Councillors think that there are many buildings in Stockton on Tees such as schools, hospitals, factories and new houses along with previously developed sites that could be used as locations for solar panels instead of using large areas of open countryside. The land proposed for the solar panels is not waste or marginal land. These fields have been used by local farmers for many years largely for arable crops with some pasture and hay meadows. This is not unproductive land and in the current times of increasing food insecurity the Parish Councillors object to plans that, if approved, would result in so much agricultural land around our Parish being industrialized in the way proposed by this planning application and other similar applications. The Parish Councillors have concerns that once the land has been used for solar panels it will be easier for other non-agricultural development to replace the solar panels or be added to the sites in the future. The installation of solar panels could lead to the sites being considered as previously developed land which could open the areas up to further applications for housing or industrial development. Redmarshall already has problems with excessive numbers of HGV’s passing through the village to avoid using slightly longer routes on larger roads. This can be evidenced by recent origin and destination surveys undertaken by Stockton Borough Council Highways Dept. This development will increase a problem that is already at unacceptable levels. Traffic management plans may detail routes that avoid the need for HGV’s to pass through Redmarshall but the Parish Councillors know from experience that plans are regularly ignored and enforcement of the traffic management plans is very difficult. The Parish Councillors feel that the proposed Byers Gill Solar Farm brings very little in the way of benefits to the residents of Redmarshall. The employment opportunities are unlikely to benefit the local community but residents will face transport problems and other disruptions while development work is underway – particularly if all of the applications currently on the table and others recently approved in the area are all under construction simultaneously. As the Byers Gill sites are some distance away from the Norton substation significant work is proposed to lay underground cables to link the sites. If approved this will result in long term disruption for residents as they travel to and from the village. If this proposal is approved the Parish Council feel that more thought should be given to finding potential routes that crosses farm land rather than the local roads, or that makes use of the existing overhead infrastructure, rather than causing further disruption. Overall Councillors feel that more thought needs to be given to a balanced approach for developments of this nature in this area of Stockton on Tees and the surrounding Boroughs.