‘Deeply disturbing’ plans to turn an idyllic corner of England into the solar capital of the UK will be fought ‘tooth and nail’, political leaders have warned.
Two energy firms have unveiled proposals to build giant solar farms that critics warn will pave over much-needed agricultural land and create huge ‘eyesores’.
Both sites would be constructed in Norfolk, with one from German firm RWE due to cover 4,000 acres of farmland at five sites, making it 15 times larger than any other existing British solar farm.
‘High Grove’ would produce 720MW of power, which planners say will provide energy for 363,000 homes while saving 25 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the projected 25-year lifespan of the panels.
Meanwhile, UK renewable developer Island Green Power have applied to build a 2,700-acres project elsewhere in the county, with the sprawling scheme covering a distance of more than ten miles and blighting eight villages.
Local authorities will not be able to block the schemes because they are deemed Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, meaning they bypass the usual planning processes and the decision falls to the Energy Secretary.
Campaigners fear this means they amount to a done deal as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband stated earlier this month that solar power was ‘crucial’ to delivering the government’s ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
Kay Mason Billig, the Conservative leader of Norfolk County Council, warned the area was ‘under attack’ from a ‘creeping abuse’ of the countryside and the plans must be resisted.
She said: ‘It’s something that I think we should all be worried about – the deeply disturbing plethora of applications for so-called solar farms.
‘I do not call them farms because they are anything but that. What they are is taking up valuable agricultural land which should be used for food production.’
She added: ‘Norfolk is not a place to be exploited by the government in its efforts to feed the power-hungry South-East, especially when local people will not benefit from it.’
Shadow Energy Security and Net Zero Minister Joy Morrissey said: ‘The government must not ride roughshod over our rural communities in pursuit of their mad targets, paving over important green spaces, putting at risk our agricultural industries and compromising our national food security.
‘Ed Miliband should retain the legal guidance that we put in place to avoid the best agricultural land and consider the cumulative impacts of several applications.
‘He should make judgements based on what is right for local communities, not what he considers to be politically expedient for his agenda.’
High Grove, which would cover an area equivalent to 2,667 football pitches, will dwarf 260-acre Llanwern Solar Farm in south-east Wales, which is currently the UK’s biggest solar farm.
It will also require a huge new National Grid substation to be built in the region at an as-yet to be announced location, as well as battery storage systems. The power will be channelled via an underground cable network.
Aghast residents around the towns of Swaffham and Dereham, and the villagers of Necton, Ashill and Bradenham, told the Mail how it would ruin huge swathes of countryside and reduce available farmland at a time when food security – having access to enough affordable, nutritious food without relying on foreign imports and price rises – has become a major issue.
Retired print worker Jim Neale, 78, of Swaffham, said: ‘We just can’t afford to lose this land. We need it to grow vegetables, not solar panels.
‘We have to think about green energy but I believe it is going to be better in the long-run to have more wind turbines, preferably out to sea.’
Gav Welham, 54, added: ‘It’s crazy. These areas should remain as beautiful fields.’
Retired teacher Paul Holbrook, 54, has 18 solar panels on the roof of his Swaffham home but said: ‘It’s outrageous to carpet panels over 4,000 acres of decent farmland.
‘We need to concentrate on feeding all the people who live on this tiny island.’
Former clerical worker Linda Johnson, 77, of Little Dunham, moved from Romford, Essex, 25 years ago ‘because of the lovely countryside’.
She said: ‘[It] will be an eyesore. It’s just not right.’
And Janis Beavan, chairman of the parish council in Sporle which will be sandwiched between two of the areas designated for panels, added: ‘I’m all for having things which are environmentally friendly but this will take up a lot of farmland.’
Island Green Power’s solar farm, called East Pye Solar, would power 115,000 homes and the numerous sites would be clustered around Hempnall, covering surrounding villages including Saxlingham, Brooke, Woodton, Great Moulton, Tharston, Hardwick, Topcroft, Kirstead Green and Long Stratton.
David Hook, chairman of Hempnall Parish Council, said: ‘The sheer size and transformative nature of this project would completely destroy the area.
‘We are not NIMBYs just because we are standing up to the destruction of the countryside. We just want to preserve what little we have left and I expect action groups to be formed across other parishes to fight this tooth and nail.’
Jane Wickstead, chairman of Woodton Parish Council added: ‘This is too much for one agricultural rural area. This is going to carpet the land and take away from growing crops to feed the community. The answer is ‘no thank you’.’
Mike Greslow, project manager for High Grove, said: ‘We chose this location because it offers optimal conditions for solar energy production, in close proximity to the existing high-voltage transmission network and with a terrain that allows the development to be readily screened from nearby villages and other sensitive viewpoints.
‘We also plan to enhance local green spaces with new footpaths and recreational areas, making them accessible and enjoyable for everyone, and delivering benefits for biodiversity.’
RWE has launched an initial consultation with feedback used to refine the design ahead of further consultation next year before the Secretary of State makes a decision. Construction would start in 2028.
An Island Green spokesman said: ‘Our proposals for the East Pye Solar project would provide the opportunity to explore ecological enhancements in the area and we are committed to achieving a biodiversity net gain across the site. To reach this, a number of wildlife enhancement measures will be considered.
‘We believe the local community is best-placed to suggest, comment and feed back on these measures and will be looking for feedback on this once we launch our first phase of consultation later this year.’