Campaigners fighting against Meridian Solar Farm plans for Crowland, Shepeau Stow and Sutton St Edmund urge people to take part in consultation
Campaigners fighting against plans to build an 1,100 hectare solar farm heard fears from nearby residents during a public meeting.
Meridian Action Group organised a public meeting in the Elizabethan Centre, in Whaplode Drove, to give villagers a chance to have their say on plans to build a 750MW facility in the area.
Solar arrays along with overhead lines and other infrastructure could be built on four parcels of land Crowland, Shepeau Stow and Sutton St Edmund - if they get the green light from the Government. The total size of the development would be large than the entire village of Cowbit.
Developers, Meridian Solar Farm Ltd, launched the second phase of its consultation in April and it ends today (Sunday, June 8).
MAG spokesman Andrew Malkin said: “A main message, repeated throughout the meeting, was that everyone present should make their views known to Meridian Solar before its public consultation closes at midnight on Sunday, June 8.
“The development, now expanded to 1100-hectares, will have solar panels and battery storage and will impact Crowland, Gedney Hill, Sutton St Edmunds, Holbeach Drove, Whaplode Drove, Shepeau Stow, Cowbit, Deeping St Nicholas, Holbeach St Johns, Whaplode St Catherine, Moulton Chapel, Moulton, Moulton Seas End, Weston Hills and Weston.
“It will consist of around 1.8 million ground-mounted solar panels, inverters, transformers, switchgear, substation and control buildings, battery storage, fencing and security measures and pylons connecting over 12 kilometres (seven miles) to a new National Grid substation at Weston Marsh.
“Residents' concerns included industrialisation of the landscape, use of vital top-grade food-growing land, noise and disruption from years of construction involving daily 12-hour shifts for hundreds of workers and hundreds of HGV movements along unsuitable Fen roads.
“Many who attended Meridian Solar's consultation events said their questions had not been answered. They were encouraged to ask those questions as part of their emailed views.”
Meridian has run a number of consultation events in recent weeks but will be accepting comments until 11.59pm tonight (Sunday).
Send your comments or completed form by email to enquiries@meridiansolar.co.uk
