Representation by Office of the Rt. Hon. Sir David Davis KCB MP (Office of the Rt. Hon. Sir David Davis KCB MP)
- Date submitted
- 29 January 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
In short, the proposal is too large, too concentrated, and has been too neglectful of the rights of my constituents. The plans as I have last seen them cover a total of 3,470 acres of farmland with panels, and will either fully or mostly enclose a number of towns and villages. It has been clear to me that the project is too concentrated. Many of my constituents have contacted me to raise concerns about the project. The main concerns that have been raised with me have been: general opposition to another renewable energy project in the area as we already have the Spaldington Windfarm in this area, concerns about the effective industrialisation of a large portion of rural East Yorkshire which will significantly affect the many beautiful green spaces and views it offers to its residents and visitors, and concerns about the inadequacy of the environmental mitigation measures such as the use of hedgerows and trees to screen the panels proposed by the applicant. It is hard to overstate the enormous impact this will have on the environment and day to day lives of local residents. The farms that operate in this area of the East Riding of Yorkshire are primarily arable farms. When the solar farm is set up, this kind of farming will no longer be viable. The applicant suggests the farmers turn to rearing and grazing livestock, namely sheep, on the land during the operation of the solar farm. This ignores the fact that livestock and arable farming are very different and require radically different set-ups and equipment to fully realise the potential of a farm, and there has been insufficient detail of what support the applicant will provide to farmers to help this shift occur, and the loss of farms in the area would have a significant negative impact on the local economy. I have concerns about the how temporary this project will be in reality. The applicant have frequently said the project will have a 40 year lifespan, and in this time the demand for renewable power will only increase and it will be easier to replace a solar farm already in place than to build a new one, making this in essence a perpetual application. The applicant has also mentioned in their project documents potential difficulties that may arise in returning the land use by the solar farm to its original agricultural purpose. Both of these raise several concerns for me about the long term impacts of the project on the local environment. I was told by the applicant that they had a connection date to the National Grid for this project to in 2029. Following the applicants outline timelines for this project, if the proposal is approved it will be operational in 2027, whereupon it will sit unconnected and effectively not generating for two years. I cannot understand how it can be seen as a benefit to either the promoter or the residents for this to happen, as this is not a complex, high-tech installation for which you have to allow for contingencies. Lastly, I must say I am unimpressed by the response Boom Power has given to some of the concerns my constituents have raised - particularly those with medical needs - which could have been addressed with relatively minor amendments to their proposals.