Solar panel plan would ‘provide greater job security’ for Spalding meat factory’s 550 employees

Plans to place solar panels on agricultural land to ‘support the future feasability’ of a meat factory have been submitted.

Applicant EDF Renewables want to transform land at Fulney Lane North in Spalding to serve the adjacent Pilgrim’s UK site, arguing this would ‘provide greater job security’ for 550 employees.

The ‘currently unused’ land would see a 2.6 hectare footprint on 4.9 hectares of land south of the factory.

“The site was initially selected due to its proximity to the Pilgrim’s Pride factory, which it will serve,” the design and access statement prepared by agent Envams explained.

“This will reduce impacts of construction, providing short cable laying distances. The relatively flat topography of the site is well suited to solar PV development.”

Pilgrim’s UK is a division of the Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and describes itself as ‘Britain’s biggest higher welfare pig farmer and producer of sustainably produced quality pork products’.

“The firm’s Spalding factory employs 550 people and works with approximately 350 farms and is an important asset for the company to attain its objectives in supplying higher welfare pork to its customers,” the statement added.

“Pilgrim has targets for net zero emissions by 2030 with onsite electricity generation at Pilgrim sites being a vital component in achieving net zero emissions targets.

“The firm has already invested £10 million into GHG reduction projects in the last year.

“Following significant recent increases in energy costs for all businesses, the proposed development looks to support the future feasibility of the Spalding Pilgrim site, through renewable electricity generated onsite.

“This will also provide greater job security for those employed by Pilgrim. The energy produced from the development would only be used internally with there being no plans to export electricity to the national grid.”

The site boundary is approximately 9.3 hectares overall with ‘5.4 hectares of this land initially identified as being feasible for solar development’, the design and access statement continued.

“The solar array is proposed on 2.6 hectares of this identified area, with additional land within the grounds of the factory (north) being available for access from the public highway, and the electrical connection to the Pilgrim factory,” it added.

“The land identified for solar development is currently unused agricultural land, consisting solely of grassland, with sporadic coverage of hedgerows and in-hedgerow trees creating the site boundary, supplemented by post and rail timber fencing.

“The site is greenfield and has not been previously developed.”