North Kesteven: Protest staged over plans for huge solar farm

Campaigners have staged a protest over plans for a huge solar farm in Lincolnshire which it is claimed could power 180,000 homes.

The 1,400-hectare Springwell Solar Farm site between Lincoln and Sleaford would be 10 times the size of London's Hyde Park, with a capacity of 800MW.

Developers said they were listening to the concerns of local people to ensure the proposals were "appropriate".

Campaigners said it was the "sheer size of the development" they oppose.

EDF Renewables UK and Luminous Energy, the companies behind the plans, said the project would have a lifespan of around 40 years, after which the land would return to agricultural use.

However Marc Williams, 52, said: "They are essentially destroying massive amounts of prime agricultural land for something that produces little power by comparison to wind turbines.

"The locals are not anti-solar, but they are pro reasonable solutions. And this has disenfranchised a huge number of people."

Others told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were concerned about the impact on wildlife and the environment.

Michael Credland, 76, said: "The beauty of the rural countryside is being destroyed.

"It feels totally political and residents are having the wool pulled over their eyes. The only thing this will generate is profits," he added.

Martin Elvin, 68, from Digby, said the agricultural sector had been "under serious attack" for some time and so farmers were not to blame for being tempted by this offer of leasing land for solar farms.

Local MPs have also voiced their opposition to large-scale energy projects in the county.

Sir John Hayes, Conservative MP for South Holland and The Deepings, raised his concerns about food security and the "industrialisation of the countryside" during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

In response Rishi Sunak said the government had taken steps "to protect prime agricultural land from large-scale solar developments".

The protest follows a public consultation and a series of in-person events for residents to learn more about the project.

Darren Cuming, head of development at EDF Renewables UK, said changes had been made as a result of the feedback, including removing proposed panels that were close to roads and residential properties.

"We want to be a good neighbour but difficult choices have to be made around the country to reach net-zero targets and we need projects like this to get there," he said.

Given its status as a nationally significant infrastructure project, it would be for the Secretary of State for Energy Security, Claire Coutinho, to decide on the proposals.

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