Giant solar farm planned for Suffolk border branded 'monstrous' by local council
Sunnica has lodged proposals for a solar farm that spans almost 1000 hectares of agricultural land
West Suffolk councillors have said giant solar farm plans on the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border are “monstrous” and “inadequate,” agreeing the authority’s response to object to the plans.
Sunnica has lodged proposals for a solar farm that spans 981 hectares of agricultural land for a 40 year lifespan to generate power exceeding 50 megawatts and become the largest solar farm in the UK.
West Suffolk Council’s cabinet agreed its response to the consultation on Tuesday night, in which it highlighted a host of issues.
Council leader John Griffiths said it was “very clear this is inadequate” while cabinet member for resources and property, Sarah Broughton, said it was “a monstrous size” which for communities facing the biggest impact of the proposals was “ruining their lives”.
Cabinet member for planning, David Roach said the authority is supportive of renewable energy schemes in general, but “A number of key environmental impacts have been raised within the relevant representation as to the quality of the assessments undertaken by the applicant in respect of these impacts, and the adequacy of the mitigation proposed to address adverse effects.”
He said that the impact on the roads was not addressed, and for cyclists and pedestrians the impacts were “underplayed”.
Cllr Roach said “more tailored mitigation” is required to address the impact on the landscape and views and said “community benefits are limited”.
He added: “Overall the scheme has the potential to significantly affect our communities which have been shaped by a history of agriculture, and in relation to Newmarket the presence of the horseracing industry.”
Plans were submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in November last year, and accepted for consultation for an examination period to begin this spring.
That is expected to last six months, with a decision then being taken by the business and energy secretary after that, as it is a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) and therefore not one the council can decide on.
Suffolk County Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council are also feeding in their responses, with all raising serious concerns.
Several West Suffolk councillors representing wards of some of the communities likely to be most affected gave impassioned pleas to Tuesday night’s cabinet outlining their issues.
Lance Stanbury from The Rows ward said it was a “speculative investment opportunity” while Manor ward councillor Brian Harvey said: “The sheer size of this proposal will effectively change this rural community forever”.
Newmarket East councillor Rachel Hood said it was “a battery storage facility masquerading as a solar farm” while Mildenhall Kingsway and Market member Ian Shipp said he believed Sunnica had “taken little or no regard to the concerns of the local community”.
Im its application, Sunnica said the plans “represent an important opportunity to help meet the urgent national need for new, renewable, means of energy generation”.
It said it was a “good design and would deliver sustainable development that is adapted to future climate change,” adding: “Visual, ecological and archaeological mitigation is proposed which includes proposed grassland planting and new woodland; retention of existing woodland, wetlands and other vegetation; provision of replacement habitat; and offsetting areas, where there will be no development.”
Dates for the examination period are set to be announced in due course.