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2025-01-29 06:38:00
Enterprise and Setting Correspondent, BBC West
Wiltshire Political Reporter
Individuals residing in a few of Britain’s most picturesque villages have been divided by plans for a one of many greatest photo voltaic parks within the nation.
Builders wish to construct photo voltaic panels on 2,000 acres of farmland close to Malmesbury within the Cotswolds, producing sufficient power for 115,000 properties.
Rosie Clark is one among lots of of native campaigners who believes it can “decimate the native space”.
However supporters of the scheme, together with the previous mayor of Malmesbury Lesley Bennett, accused opponents of being “well-connected folks” whose leaflets are “filled with errors”.
The federal government desires to quadruple the quantity of solar energy generated within the UK. However wherever builders suggest new photo voltaic farms, opposition springs up.
Rosie Clark lives in a stone cottage surrounded by Cotswold fields and hedgerows in Wiltshire.
She is apprehensive there may very well be greater than “1,000,000 panels which will likely be as excessive as a double-decker bus”.
The builders haven’t confirmed precise numbers, however have stated it might be ‘not more than 700,000 panels’.
“It’ll utterly swamp 9 native villages,” Ms Clark stated.
“We’re in an space of excellent nationwide magnificence. It’ll decimate the native space, which depends quite a bit on tourism.”
In the meantime, Lesley Bennett is one of some individuals who will converse up for the photo voltaic scheme.
“It is nimbyism, it is good nimbyism,” she stated.
“We want clear power. We must be power impartial.”
The marketing campaign to Cease Lime Down is properly organised. A whole bunch of individuals have been signed up, leaflets printed, there are indicators all over the place in these north Wiltshire villages.
However Mrs Bennett thinks there are lots of silent photo voltaic supporters, who dare not converse up.
“It is just a few well-connected wealthy individuals who’ve created a superb marketing campaign,” she says.
“But it surely’s an phantasm. This leaflet is filled with errors.”
Campaigners are properly conscious the percentages are in opposition to them.
Power Secretary Ed Miliband has already authorized a number of huge photo voltaic schemes, simply as huge as Lime Down.
Mr Miliband desires to quadruple the UK’s solar energy technology capability, which he says will “make the UK a clear power superpower”.
Ms Clark stated she is “all for wind and photo voltaic power”, simply not on farmland.
“We shouldn’t be utilizing agricultural land and destroying our future meals safety for photo voltaic panels,” she stated.
Mrs Bennett highlighted that solely half of the two,000 acres (878 hectares) proposed for growth would have photo voltaic panels or associated buildings on.
The builders, Island Inexperienced Energy, have allotted 47% of the land for environmental functions.
Mrs Bennett stated that photo voltaic fields have at all times labored alongside nature.
She stated: “You possibly can have sheep on there, you’ll be able to have wildlife on there, they put in beehives and ponds and all kinds.”
The corporate’s first public session bumped into critical opposition. Their very own report discovered that 88% of native folks have been against their plans.
Now the builders, Island Inexperienced Energy, stated they’ve listened and realized.
Will Threllfall, senior mission growth supervisor, stated he was ‘actually grateful’ to everybody who responded.
The new proposals they’re now consulting on embrace adjustments, he stated, which can make the photo voltaic panels much less seen and fewer intrusive.
However they continue to be dedicated to the fundamental plan, with 878 hectares ( 2170 acres) within the scheme, of which 53% is both photo voltaic panels or associated infrastructure.
Mr Threlfall stated: “Tasks like Lime Down Photo voltaic are very important to enabling the transition from fossil gas to low carbon power, and we’re dedicated to delivering a scheme that makes a significant contribution to each native and nationwide power wants.”
The formal public session will run till 19 March 2025. After that, the corporate will submit a planning software which can ultimately be determined by the Secretary of State. The scheme is taken into account too huge to be judged by a neighborhood council alone.
