The Government has given the go-ahead for the UK’s biggest solar farm against strong local opposition.
In what was billed as the biggest test so far of his anti-nimby drive, energy secretary Ed Miliband has approved the 8 square mile solar farm on the border of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, saying: “This is a government in a hurry to deliver the change it promised for the British people.”
Known as the Cottam Solar project, the farm will sit on farmland, generating enough electricity to power 180,000 homes.
This is the biggest solar farm to be given the green light since Labour came to power – promising to take on Nimbys in its drive to ramp up solar and on-shore wind power to help the UK meet its ambitious targets to make the country’s energy supply virtually carbon neutral in just six years.
And it is the biggest ever to be approved in the UK.
But locals reacted angrily to the decision, saying it would ruin the landscape, destroy valuable farmland and amount to just a “drop in the ocean” in the UK’s energy supply.
They say their objections have been ignored by Mr Miliband, who is determined to drive big projects like this through.
“The community is in shock. It will decimate the area. These things don’t blend in with the countryside – they’re absolute monsters, so it’ll ruin this part of the world,” Simon Skelton, a retired coal and gas power station worker who moved to the area in search of a country lifestyle, told i.
“And it’ll deliver very little energy. It’s an absolute drop in the ocean, a tick box exercise in the extreme.
“If it was in a large country like India, then you could possibly argue that ‘we’ve got wasteland and we’ve got a lot of sun’. But in this country it’s absolute folly,” he said.
“From reading the planning inspectorate’s report and the secretary of state’s report it is clear that public concerns have been ignored,” Mr Skelton added.
Jerry Parker, a retired IT business owner who lives in the nearby village of Cammeringham, told i: “I am very disappointed. The community’s concerns haven’t been taken into account. It’s just bonkers.”
“The decision has been made on the hoof without due consideration and it’s going to have a huge impact on the community. Emotions are pretty high,” he said.
Ed Griffiths of Barbour ABI, which provides construction data to the Government, said: “The Cottam Solar Project was the biggest test case yet for the Government’s determination to push ahead with new solar farms.
“And it has shown it is firmly committed to renewable power in the face of considerable local opposition.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “This government is determined to give families and businesses energy security by getting off the rollercoaster of unstable international gas markets that led to increased bills.
“The only way to do this is to back cheap, homegrown energy which boosts our economy and supports us in lowering bills for good.
“Solar is one of the cheapest sources of power and we must take advantage of the clean and secure energy.”
“Today’s decision is one of four I’ve made in the last eight weeks, which provide almost 2GW of solar, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes,” Mr Miliband added.
In a letter explaining the decision, David Wagstaff, the Government’s head of energy infrastructure development, pointed out that the planning inspectorate recommended granting approval.
He added: “The Secretary of State (Ed Miliband) has considered the overall planning balance and…has concluded that the public benefits associated with the Proposed Development outweigh the harm identified, and that development consent should therefore be granted”.
Bob Psaradellis, chief executive of at Island Green Power, renewable energy developer behind Cottam Solar, said: “The project will play a vital role in supporting the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy, generating enough clean, renewable, and secure energy to power 180,000 households annually.”
Eve Browning, head of projects UK at Island Green Power, added that the project will have “significant benefits to the local community and environment by enhancing the biodiversity and wildlife across the site and introducing a new route for local walkers.
“These improvements are alongside direct funding from the project to support local communities.”
The solar power industry welcomed the decision. Stephen Wilding, director of business development at Solar Energy UK, said: “Today’s announcement is another step in the right direction towards a sustainably-powered solar nation, offering a more secure and affordable energy system.
“It is also another welcome confirmation of the new government’s support for the solar sector.”