It’s Criminal: Huge Solar Farm Planned for Agricultural Land
A proposed solar farm on agricultural land sparks local concerns about its impact
Yate, Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, Solar Farm, Agricultural Land, RWE
Yate: There’s a big proposal for a solar panel farm on farmland just south of here, covering about 123 acres. If it gets the go-ahead, it could power over 10,000 homes each year. But folks around here are pretty skeptical about what it means for our community.
The planning application comes after a public consultation where they reached out to over 2,500 locals. They even held a meeting that 67 people attended. RWE, the company behind the project, claims that most feedback was positive, with 64% either supporting or neutral about the plans.
RWE says they want to collaborate with local leaders on how the area will look and to create new habitats around the solar farm. They aim to make it fit in with the local environment and help the nearby nature reserve.
If the Mousewell Solar Farm gets approved, it would help South Gloucestershire Council meet its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030, which they committed to after declaring a climate emergency back in July 2019.
You can check out the planning application by searching for reference P24/03001/F.
One commenter, Thegreatfactsby, pointed out that this seems like great PR for a big energy company. They argue that the project won’t really benefit the local community, noting there were 195 objections compared to just 5 supporters. They mentioned that the energy produced won’t even go to local homes but will be sold to big businesses instead.
Berklicker chimed in, saying that the electricity generated will just go to the grid, like selling crops at a market. It seems like the only ones who will profit are the companies running the farm and the power companies.
BobbyRaikes added that this is pretty standard for solar farms. The farmer leases the land and gets paid rent, while the solar company sells the power to the grid. If you want to save on bills, you might as well invest in your own solar panels.
Table For Two mentioned a new law in France requiring solar canopies on large parking lots. They think it’s a smart move since it generates energy without taking up more land and even provides shade for cars in summer.
Robofbristol expressed strong feelings against using good farmland for solar farms, saying we don’t get enough sunshine for them to be effective. They think these projects are just a way to greenwash the issue, pointing out that the panels often come from China and have a short lifespan.
Bs3bob said there’s nothing wrong with solar farms, but we should prioritize growing food on good agricultural land.
Berklicker responded that some places manage to grow crops between the solar panels, but it’s not very profitable since it all has to be done by hand. Farmers are already struggling with supermarket pressures, so it’s no wonder they’re turning to solar farming.
Team added that no matter how many solar farms we build, it’ll never be enough. They think relying on sunshine and wind energy is as unpredictable as the weather.
What do you think about solar farms? Are they the future of clean energy or just an eyesore? Share your thoughts in the comments!