Bicker Fen Solar Farm approved
Members of Boston Borough Council’s Planning Committee have approved plans for a 97-hectare solar farm in Bicker Fen.
The project, located north of Northorpe and west of Bicker, is projected to generate up to 49.995 MW during peak operation.
This output falls just shy of the National Significant Infrastructure Project threshold, which stands at 50MW.
Manned by AGR Solar 2 Ltd, the solar farm is slated to operate over a 40-year time period, after which it will be decommissioned.
The development plans also include a grid connection cable to the National Grid’s Bicker Fen Substation, situated to the north and west of the proposed site.
“The proposed development would contribute to achieving net zero by 2050 by increasing the amount of zero-carbon renewable electricity generated and supplied to the National Grid,” wrote the developers in their Design & Access Statement.
“This would help to further decarbonise the UK’s energy production sector and achieve National Grid’s target of a net zero electricity system by 2030.”
Councillor Peter Bedford (20-20 Independent Group) voted in favour of the proposal, likening its potential success to the Leverton Ings Solar Farm, which has been operational for over a year.
However, Councillor Claire Rylott (Conservative) expressed disappointment over the application, arguing that the land could be better utilised as farmland.
She suggested: “These sites could be developed on grassland that isn’t being used for food production.”
Councillor Suzanne Wellberry (Boston Independent) shared these sentiments, adding that the development might set a precedent for similar applications in the future.
Lincolnshire’s ongoing solar debate has sparked widespread controversy among councillors and residents over the past few months, with numerous applications also submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
In total, there are now plans for 13 large-scale solar farms, collectively accounting for 9,206 hectares or just over 1% of Lincolnshire land.
County Councillor Colin Davie (Conservative) previously criticised the government’s energy policy, labelling it a “shambles”.
He argued for an equitable distribution of solar farms across the country, saying: “Lincolnshire is critically important to national food security, and locally produced food is much better for the environment because you get the carbon miles from moving it around.”