As part of my ongoing work to oppose the large solar farm applications in the constituency, I wrote to the Secretary of State before Christmas to highlight again the disastrous impact these applications will have on our community.
Lincolnshire is being inundated with the massive infrastructure projects. We have seen only last week that another NSIP solar farm application of over 2,000 acres has been proposed near Brant Broughton, Leadenham and Welbourn and I will be meeting with the company shortly about this.
Our Net Zero transition is important, but, unfortunately, the consequences of these applications signify a shift from small, unobtrusive solar farms on brownfield sites and poor quality land, to massive industrial installations in completely the wrong places - with the applications totalling over 10,000 acres of Lincolnshire farmland in my constituency alone. 10,000 acres is larger than the city of Lincoln.
I am disappointed by the Minister's response to my constituents' concerns - particularly when quoting that solar farms will cover less than 1% of the UK's agricultural land. This figure is far higher than this already in my constituency and I have highlighted to the Secretary of State how people in Lincolnshire are feeling the disproportionate impact. I urge the Government in the strongest terms to consider the cumulative impact these applications are having on our area.
I am disappointed that the Minister has not acknowledged my request for a meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss these issues in further detail. I will continue to fight against massive solar farms in our area and champion rooftop and brownfield site solar as an alternative.
