Council Agrees to Fight Solar Farm Schemes
Breckland Council in Norfolk has voted unanimously, with cross-party support, to oppose large-scale solar farm schemes planned for the district. The Save Our Countryside motion was passed at a full council meeting on 10 July.
Cllr Fabian Eagle, who proposed the motion, said the council accepts the need for renewable energy but does not want the district to become home to what would be the UK’s largest power station by area, or to be known for energy production rather than its landscape. He said solar farms should be sited strategically with local backing, should not threaten valuable farmland, and Norfolk should not bear the energy burden for the rest of the country.
The council will now oppose large solar developments that lack local support, endanger farmland or wildlife, or offer no local benefit. It reaffirmed its backing for local MPs George Freeman and Terry Jermy and for Norfolk County Council’s stance, and joined other Norfolk authorities in calling for a more strategic, locally accountable approach to renewables.
The council will write to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband asking for solar and renewable planning decisions to be made locally, taking residents’ views into account. It is also calling for a review of energy distribution and infrastructure policy so that the area’s contribution to national energy supply brings further investment and protection for Norfolk’s environment and landscapes.
