Plans for a West Lindsey solar farm would be ‘folly’ and would industrialise the countryside, Lincolnshire County Councillors have said.
The proposed Tillbridge Solar project would cover around 3,000 acres, making it larger than any currently built in the UK.
It would be concentrated around the village of Glentworth, south of the A631 between Gainsborough and Caenby Corner.
This would place it between three other large solar farms that are either already approved or are seeking the green light.
The project is a joint venture between renewable energy developers Tribus Clean Energy and Recurrent Energy.
If approved, it would be able to power around 300,000 homes.
The plans are so vast that they will be determined by the government rather than a local council.
However, councillors registered extremely strong objections at a planning committee meeting on Monday (4 November).
Councillor Tom Ashton (Con) described it as “the thin end of the wedge of climate madness.”
“Its scale and mass beggars belief. It will mean the industrialisation of the rural way of life.
“Imagine every field alongside every road covered in an industrial process – we wouldn’t allow it for anything else.”
Councillor Marianne Overton (Ind) told the committee: “A quarter of Lincolnshire’s people are connected with agriculture, and it’s sickening that the best farmland is being used.
“Solar farms are acceptable if it’s a field here or there, but it’s folly on this scale.”
Councillor Ian Carrington (Con) said the applications were centred around “a very sensitive piece of geography” in the heart of Lincolnshire’s countryside.
“We all need green energy – no one is denying that – but there must be fairer geographic distribution,” he added.
Councillor Neil Murray (Lab) was the lone voice of opposition, saying: “There is a climate crisis, and the council has said no to every solar farm that’s come along.
“We can’t always say no. Lincolnshire needs energy. Sometimes land should be used for renewable energy so we don’t have to rely on Vladimir Putin.”
The council’s report states that the impact on the landscape and loss of farmland would be unacceptable.
It also raised concerns about the disposal of solar panels that are no longer usable, which is expected to amount to 40,000 per year for this application and potentially half a million if all solar farms in the area are approved.
The report and objection will now be sent to the Planning Inspectorate, which will prepare a report for the Secretary of State for Energy, Ed Miliband.
A government decision on the West Burton solar farm, which would be located nearby, is also expected later this week.
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