The developer must ‘drop this proposal’

Richard Fuller, MP for North East Bedfordshire

“In the pursuit of the good objective of decarbonising our energy production, the East Park Energy proposal for this massively scaled solar power facility across countryside in North Bedfordshire and into Cambridgeshire is a bad idea. The proposal is far too large. The proposal would have a lasting detrimental effect on the prime farmland targeted for development. The proposal seems more about financial speculation than anything else.

Other, smaller scale, solar power facilities are being proposed or already producing power, slowly gaining local public support, and I understand the economic pressures on farmers that make proposals to lease their land attractive: at least for the time being.

I am opposed to East Park Energy and will work with all local residents to encourage the energy plant’s financial backers to drop this proposal or to substantially shrink its scale and rethink its suitability to our area.”

richard.fuller.mp@parliament.uk

Biggleswade Conservative Club, St Andrew’s Street, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8BA

• Richard Fuller has published his response to the East Park consultation, saying that if the proposal is accepted, “it would make a mockery of government guidelines and unleash a ‘free for all’ grab for farmland across the country, endangering food security”

Action against climate change should not be ‘at the expense of the environment’

Lois Wright, Director of the Bedfordshire region of CPRE, the countryside charity

“CPRE Bedfordshire is pleased to support the Stop East Park Energy campaign. We believe solar energy has a role to play in our collective action against climate change, but not at the expense of the environment. We urge the government to fully realise the potential of solar on rooftops and other ‘grey’ spaces where we can roll out renewable energy without harming wildlife, food security and landscapes.”  

• CPRE Bedfordshire has now published its response to the statutory consultation, supporting opposition to the “massive scale development” which would result in the “loss of high quality agricultural land”

Profit over progress: massive solar farm threatens good quality farmland  

Ben Obese-Jecty, MP for Huntingdon

“This scheme will see vast swathes of our local countryside, good quality farmland, sacrificed for at least two generations in order to facilitate these plans. There are only negatives to this development.

While the aim of reducing carbon emissions is laudable, the East Park Energy proposal for this vast solar array across Huntingdon and into Bedfordshire is completely misguided. The scale is excessive, would cause long term damage to valuable Grade 2 and Grade 3a farmland and the negatives for local residents far outweigh any potential positives from this development. 

I oppose the plans and urge Brockwell Storage and Solar to reconsider its plans.”

ben.obesejecty.mp@parliament.uk

The Old Print Works, Mews Close, Ramsey, Huntingdon, PE26 1BP

• Ben Obese-Jecty has responded to the consultation, raising concerns about the “visual impact upon the character of the landscape” and the fact that nearly 2,000 acres of farmland would be “out of use for potentially two generations”. Read his letter here – page 1 and page 2

A massive, inappropriate site – a negative impact on ‘valuable agricultural land’ and ‘landscape quality’

Alan James, Chairman of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region of CPRE, the countryside charity 

“CPRE Cambridgeshire and Peterborough supports the Stop East Park Energy campaign. Solar plants are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Many applications, particularly for massive solar sites like this one, are for inappropriate sites chosen for purely commercial reasons. They would undoubtedly affect heritage assets, greenfield land or conservation areas. As well as the impact on landscape quality, wildlife and biodiversity, we are concerned over the negative impact on our valuable agricultural land – and the lack of effective solutions for recycling the vast number of panels and components when the tech used in these enormous schemes becomes obsolete.”