Representation by Mrs Charlotte Louise Baxter
- Date submitted
- 30 September 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Dear Secretary of State for Local Government, I am writing with regards to the proposed application by Helios for a solar panel farm project. I owe it to not only myself, but to my local community, wider communities and future generations to highlight my reservations and concerns about the proposed Helios solar panel farm project. The size of this application is colossal compared to the two other solar panel farms, which have already been granted by local planning permission. I believe your decision should give careful consideration to the fact that this application is unique from other solar panel farms which have been granted. This is because Camblesforth and the surrounding villages have already carried their share for national energy security by the placement of Drax and now two large solar panel farms. In addition to this, the huge battery storage facility in Drax, plus the NSIP application for a further expansion of Drax for their Carbon Capture Scheme. This means that the village of Camblesforth, Carlton, Hirst Courtney, Drax, Long Drax, Chapel Haddlesey, Burn, Barlow and more will be at grave risk of being completely surrounded by solar panel farms and the landscape being permanently changed from villages surrounded by countryside to an industrial landscape. There are many reasons why I object to this project being granted which I have listed below: Prior to Drax Power Station being placed in the area, Camblesforth and the surrounding villages were first used for farming. We are a proud farming community with knowledge and understanding of the land passed down from one generation to the next. The UK has a Government Food Strategy due to the present and future national risk to our food security. The Helios Solar Panel Farm will remove 476 hectares of which, 96% is Best and Most Versatile land (BMV) of Grade 1, 2 or 3a. I believe this is short-sighted and unnecessary, especially when there are so many other sites that could be used e.g. industrial sites, some of the 12,500 hectares of waste brownfield sites and/or millions of rooftops throughout the country! The reason this land compromises the highest quality farmland is solely down to the land being farmed continuously by farmers using their specific knowledge and skills, which has been acquired from generations of farmers sharing this knowledge with them. Farming families span back generations and are key to securing our local farming economy. Removing 476 hectares of land (in addition to the land being removed in subsequent approved applications) means that a ginormous area of land will be lost for a minimum of 30 years considering construction time. Given the size of the solar panels proposed and that they are to be mounted to allow for them to move to track the sun, means that it will be necessary to drill down deeply into a vast area of land. This hole will then be filled with concrete to secure the panels to allow for secure movement and compensate for the weight of the panel and mounting frame. At the end of the process of removing this structure would mean breaking digging deep into the land to remove said concrete. This risks further damaging the land, causing subsequent risks of water pollution from extracting concrete. An increase of HGV vehicles to remove tons of concrete, creation of waste with no ability to recycle this, noise and dust pollution etc. Leaving this in situ would mean farmers cannot turn over the land safely as required to farmland. The impact on soil will be for at least 30 years, so how can soil will not be affected? There has not been a solar farm of this scale before and drilling down into land, adding concrete into it and the soil not being turned over will cause compaction and damage soil. I would invite the Secretary of State to consider how assurances to causing no soil damage can be given by the applicant, when there has never been land lost for this length of time, let along with the level of infrastructure placed upon. Meeting the UK’s Net Zero target must be balanced against the UK’s National Food Security Crisis. The added danger is removing an entire generation of farmers means that the knowledge and skills cannot be gained. No farm land means no future farmers and a worse food security risk. Just use brownfield sites or alternative methods instead. Farming is a hard job and one which is usually passed from one generation to another because no one else wishes to undertake this level of long-term commitment and hard work. Therefore, this will cause a complete loss of farmers which will undoubtedly affect and add to the UK’s national food security crisis. At the Helios consultation in Camblesforth I asked the Helios advisor what the carbon footprint of just one of these solar panels would be and was told that they did not know. I am concerned about the number of materials required and where these would come from. The solar panels currently manufactured involve quarrying for component minerals and materials which are then transported to different factories before making a solar panel. I am concerned about the ecology and sustainability of the land as toxic metal components are used to make solar panels and toxic chemicals are used in the manufacturing process. Without understanding where Helios are planning to procure their materials for this proposed solar panel farm, can the Secretary of State ensure that any energy produced via the solar panel farm is balanced against carbon footprint from the project’s conception to death is green energy? I would invite Helios to provide information on where they plan to procure their materials and the carbon footprint of bringing all of this to Camblesforth? What are the plans for the site’s removal and disposal of toxic solar panels at the end of this project? If the panels are non-recyclable, how can we dispose of these without simply burying them in landfill? There is insufficient infrastructure in place to deal with the proposed level of waste and toxic elements. There is well documented evidence of solar panel farms using forced labour practices in Xinjiang, particularly for workers from the Uighur minority. The Uyghur region is as a result adding to the climate crisis by using fossil fuels to gather polysilicon used for solar panels, with poor environmental laws mean contamination of the Earth in this process. I am very concerned about this and invite the Secretary of State to further explore Helios’s procurement plans are ethical and consider the human rights of workers producing these. The type of solar panels proposed have never built or tested before in the UK. These large panels will dominate the rural landscape, as they sit two meters above the ground and will be visible daily for up to 30 years. This will undoubtedly affect my mental health as I enjoy seeing this countryside and the numerous wildlife I see upon it. I enjoy noting the different wildlife I observe, which as a non-exhaustive example are bats, owls, voles, deer, badgers, newts, hawks, buzzards and more, which resides within it. I was told by Helios at the public consultation in Camblesforth that they will allow for public footpaths when constructing the farm. However, there will be temporary closures during construction for at least 2 years. The removal of public footpaths means there will be no local walks. The cumulative effect of years of construction works for this site, the other 2 approved solar panel sites, expansion of Drax Power Station’s carbon capture, gas pipe and more, will mean a long-term inability for me to benefit and enjoy this countryside. Medical conditions may make people unable to use these for at least 2 years due to the dust created from the construction of access roads. The current solar panel farm under construction is causing visible plumes of dust to sweep across the A1041 causing disruption to car users by obstructed view and I am concerned about the dust generated from the huge, proposed Helios Solar panel farm to my health and the road users of the A1041 as wind is strong across the open fields with this being a rural area. This will impact me because it means I will not be able to exercise as much as a direct result of this. I would have to instead drive to another area for the same benefit and enjoyment. This will incur more costs to me and stop me from exercising each day as the time taken to travel out of area and back again will be longer, due to road works, increased HGV traffic etc. Noise nuisance is a major concern with this proposal. Helios have used limited sites to obtain data on this. I feel the cumulative impact of 3 solar panel farms, alongside the battery storage site in Drax and Drax Power Station itself must be considered in this application. The noise from transformers will travel with winds across the fields to Camblesforth and surrounding villages. The intention is to site 100 BESS’s each potentially producing between 70 – 90dBs. At worst this will be hazardous to myself and other residents in close proximity. The nearest house is within only 650m. Not testing enough areas for noise pollution effects means residents in the wider vicinity will likely be subjected to a continuous high-pitched buzz for the next 30 plus years, night and day. I would invite the Secretary of State to gather more information and request more sound testing sites to gather a true reflection of the cumulative impact of noise nuisance. An cumulative effect of noise pollution could affect my mental health and my daily living would be affected. A common suggestion by mental health professionals to ease symptoms of depression, anxiety, social isolation etc is to “get out and exercise in your local community”. If this solar panel farm goes ahead, should the public footpaths be reinstated in years to come, the entirety of Camblesforth’s public footpaths would be alongside or through solar panel farms, or a power station. This would mean I cannot use these due to the noise pollution caused by the transformers used to store the energy and air conditioning unit nose to keep these cool. The construction noise from pile-drilling and HGV’s used for the project using the A1041 and A645, plus ongoing maintenance of the solar panel farm increases this noise further for years. Especially considering the HGV’s that will be used for other approved projects. This would mean I would either need to remain at home and become isolated or try to sell my house. Selling my home would likely be hard, as I have seen news of mortgage companies already declining mortgages for properties in proximity of solar panel farms. The solar panel farm would likely devalue house prices based on current research and could cause negative equity for many people rendering them stuck in villages surrounded by effectively a mass industrial site. None of which is considered by the Secretary of State and Helios have not offered any talk of community benefit or compensation for this. Therefore, I ask that the Secretary of State consider the impact of noise pollution, fundamental change to the landscape and the loss of use and enjoyment of the landscape, is not for a short timeframe as suggested by Helios. This is because this project will be in place for the remainder of the majority of my life. Therefore, I cannot accept any risks are mitigated by Helios claiming any adverse effects are only “temporary” as the project is only set for a set number of years. The project will affect me daily for the majority of the rest of my life. The cumulative impact in the application sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of the UK should this project go ahead. Helios will add another 190MW of solar energy on 476 hectares of land to the west of Camblesforth, effectively surrounding the villages with new solar and renewable energy infrastructure projects amounting to over 2,100 hectares or 8 square miles. With the numerous projects already agreed or in local or NSPO planning, this is devastating to our community. I believe the proposed Helios solar panel farm’s proximity to Drax Power Station should not give more weight to their application. Approving such an application will open the floodgates to other applications for more solar panel farms until there are no fields left at all in this local area and on the path to and from Drax Power Station. There are already an alarmingly high number of solar panel farms either currently in NSIP planning applications stages, or approved smaller solar panel farms in the neighbouring villages. I am concerned that if the Secretary of State approves this application, it has the danger to allow for more and more solar panel farms to be approved, expanded and connected to create a super solar panel farm and battery storage units leading from the East Coast of Yorkshire to Doncaster and beyond. I strongly feel the proximity to Drax power station should not be a valid argument to engulf Camblesforth and large parts of Yorkshire and the Humber with this solar panel farm or any other. As residents, we have given up enough of our landscape to assist the UK with the net zero targets, there are forms of actually greener energy and other spaces on brownfield sites, roofs of industrial buildings etc, which can achieve our net zero targets without dominating entire counties field by field this radically changing the character, rural nature and community spirit of our local village and others by turning the area into nothing more than a massive industrial estate. I am seriously concerned about the fire risk to residents of Camblesforth and surrounding villages. The proposed 100 shipping containers used to store batteries and energy means should a fire occur, winds will most certainly bring toxic emissions of gases such as hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide and hydrogen straight towards Camblesforth and surrounding villages like Hirst Courtney & Carlton. Fire cannot be extinguished from a battery and would need to burn out. This would potentially cause a serious health and safety risk to thousands of residents. I would invite the Secretary of State to weight up the affect of a fire, how it would be managed with our local fire station’s two vehicles, the spread from one solar farm over the small main road on the A1041 to the next solar panel farm and battery storage units, and fire on a direct path towards Drax Power Station and subsequently more batter storage units there and beyond. There have been deaths from solar panel farm fires and documents I have read say these deaths are underreported. This is a huge worry for me living in this area. Helios has claimed the solar panel farm will improve biodiversity by adding sheep and meadow flowers to the site. This land is used for crops and local residents use their land for sheep. I have not seen sheep on this land before. A family member of mine who is a farmer explained how sheep need to be in safe areas away from any form of cables as sheep will eat through these. Sheep also need care and attention often. Sheep could potentially be harmed by walking under moving solar panels. Foxes are common on this land. Wire fences surrounding the entire solar panel site means that should a fox manage to climb into the site, or the fence develop a hole to gain access, then the sheep would be attacked and hurt or killed. There would be no easy access for a farmer to get on site to assist or shoot the fox as this would break the solar panel and risk fire. Therefore, I would ask the Secretary of State to consider if this proposal is just that, a proposal with no way of implementing this given these solar panels move and the introduction of sheep to other solar panel farms appears if at all, to only take place only on land mounted fixed solar panel farms. I would also worry about who would farm these sheep. The natural biodiversity which will be greatly impacted, and this is not mitigated by planting wildflowers alone. There are red listed birds, bats, newts, voles, badgers, moles, wild deer, and buzzards and more in the area that will suffer as a result of this development. Drilling into the ground, daily HGV’s and installation of other cables etc for at least 2 years in construction would cause noise and vibration distress to wildlife during this time, if not death and irreversible long-term damage to the number of animals during this time. The A1041 is poorly maintained with an extremely poor road surface, potholes, lack of cat eyes and road markings. It is also subject to heavy flooding, especially in a large dip often making the road impassible very quickly. There are numerous turn off points to connecting smaller roads to local villages along this road. Each of these are used in the event of flooding, storms, and accidents. Accidents happen on this road frequently due to poor visibility, flooding, fallen trees, deer and badgers crossing the road etc. The A1041 through Camblesforth village becomes very narrow, as you go to exit the village, the road bends and becomes narrower still and you have no sight of oncoming traffic. Lorries, vans and HGV’s already struggle at this bend, and I have personally had to hold back on foot and in my car to prevent an accident. There is often a back up of traffic as cars try to reverse to allow HGVs to mount the very narrow pavement to get around. There have been numerous accidents here to residents on this corner who have had their front wall smashed down by lorries and cars given the road. The A1041 then has the roundabout to turn towards Drax on the A645. This roundabout is already damaged and uneven. Ther number of HGV deliveries every day for at least 2 years is estimated to be between 30-50 HGV’s. The cumulative effect of 2 accepted proposals and homes being built in Camblesforth will undoubtedly impact on an already heavily over polluted and busy network. The ongoing maintenance that will be required will also have a long-term effect. This significant disruption and increased noise and fume pollution will affect my health and that of local residents. The road infrastructure of the A1041, A645 and the adjacent A19 spanning the other side of the project are simply not designed to handle this level of HGV traffic. The Black Dog Pub is within walking distance from Camblesforth and due to a poor bus service and no bus stops, you can only get there by car, push bike or on foot. People would be at risk attempting to cross these roads with an increased number of HGVs. I would ask the Secretary of State to visit this site and see the dangerous road situation this would create not only for road users but to adults and children crossing these roads. The proposed site is a flood risk on zones 2 and 3a. The compaction of the ground during the construction phase alongside the soil becoming hard and impacted over time means a concentrated run off from the panels would likely increase the risk of flooding. The planning report from Drax Power Station’s gas pipeline has highlighted the risk of them using a flood zone was due to the pipe being buried below ground so there was no off run. The off run from this sight is significant due to the panels being mounts 2m high. Depending on the direction the panel is moving or in at the time of rainfall, will affect the runoff. I question how the risk of flooding can be mitigated. Any flood risk planning would need to include a plan for the runoff of water onto the ground at any given point the panel may be in at the time of rainfall. There is well documented evidence of severe flooding in this area and the surrounding areas. Offrun of water is also a huge concern given that this site sits on a source protection zone and contains a principal aquifer. This was also noted by Drax’s planning report as being a significant risk. I believe this site has an extremely high risk of groundwater contamination of water to Selby and District due to the construction activities, such as piling over such a large area, the runoff of toxic chemicals should a panel break before inspection occurs and fire risk causing a mass leak of chemicals into the land which would then have the potential to alter the groundwater channels. There have been reports into the effect of solar panel farms and mobile, internet and television reception. This site could negatively impact the already poor and intermittent mobile phone signal, broadband and television reception. Drax power station blocks this and 2 approved solar panel farms and this huge proposal would likely have dire consequences to residents. If my internet continues to get worse or phone signal poorer, then I am at risk should I need to call for emergency help and I cannot work from home and with no office nearby, I would possibly not have a job. There is no benefit to residents affected by this proposals, only negative effects. There is also a lack of jobs created in the short or long term by this project. This is a specialist area of energy installation and on an untested scale with PV’s and thus construction and engineer workers would likely need to be brought into the UK form abroad, or from much further afield to construct this site. There is a lack of local provisions for contractors, with Camblesforth having only a few very small hotel rooms. The surrounding villages and Selby also have a limited number of hotels. If contractors solely occupy these rooms, it will disadvantage residents further by preventing family and friends from out of area from visiting as there is no where for them to stay. There would be a lack of visitors to the local area and Selby due to a lack of hotel rooms. The local B&B’s in the area are used by tourists who enjoy the countryside, especially at the Drax Club where people come to enjoy golf and holiday in their caravans/ camp. Removing the very landscape, they come to visit and introducing vibrations, noise, busy roads will put people off. There will be a long-term loss to the local economy that will have a long term effect on local businesses in particular. This will outweigh any short-term cash injection from construction workers. There drilling over such a large area of land could cause significant damage to any historic developments, which have been noted in other planning applications after further assessments on the local solar panel farm sites which have been approved. This risk was only mitigated by land mounted solar panels being allowed. I invite the Secretary of State to ask Helios of their plans to undertake a thorough archaeological survey and plans for artefacts and other unknown findings on their proposals. I ask that when this planning proposal is placed before you for consideration that you, please seriously consider the affects this will have on current residents and future generations. The risk of setting a precedent to allow companies to surround one area entirely, at the total disregard of resident’s health and wellbeing, solely due to a proximity to Drax Power station argument. I strongly believe the need to meet the Governments net zero target, must not come down to the responsibility and detriment of Camblesforth and surrounding villages alone. We have taken our fair shar on behalf of the UK and should not be used as an excuse to achieve a net target by a company with no interest in residents, only monetary gain. Especially given that there are other sites of lesser impact to any residents or food security that will achieve the same objective with less significant impacts. I believe this plan should be rejected. Yours sincerely, [REDACTED] 29.09.2024