Mallard Pass solar farm owners to be questioned by Rutland County Council
The owner of a solar farm project is to be questioned on its community commitments.
Talks with the company behind a huge solar farm ‘virtually died’ after its scheme received Government approval last year, the cabinet member for planning at Rutland County Council has said.
Concerns have been raised about whether Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, which acquired the Mallard Pass solar farm project last month, will agree to set up a community fund to benefit those living close to the solar panels on the Lincolnshire-Rutland border.
Mallard Pass, which will be one of the UK's largest solar farms, was signed off in July by the energy secretary Ed Miliband.
At last night’s (May 27) meeting of Rutland County Council, Coun Kevin Corby, (Ind - Ryhall and Casterton), asked for an update on the project following its sale by Windel Energy and Canadian Solar to the private equity firm Quinbrook.
He asked what communication the council had had following the sale and whether the formerly proposed start date of next year was still a realistic proposal ‘given that no detailed design proposals have been submitted to the council’.
Cabinet member for planning Paul Browne (Lib Dem) said: “There has been no communication from the new owners to confirm their timetable for taking their proposal forward and so I am afraid it is not possible to state whether the construction launch date is realistic.
“There has been little communication at all despite efforts on behalf of officers and it virtually died from the moment the development consent order was announced, so I can't really be much help to you at this stage.”
He has set up a meeting on May 7 with the new owners to talk about a community fund, but said there were no obligations on the owners to provide one.
He said: “Unfortunately the Government failed to recognise any aspect of the community benefit when they announced the development consent order - both for ourselves and the other two major applications. That was despite volumes of paperwork including the negotiations regarding the community benefit.
“It is likely there is going to be little moral obligation on the guys who bought this site from those who had the first discussions. But we will see what we can do to get the basic principle.”
There had been widespread community objection to the 2,000 acre solar farm, which will be built on green fields and run four miles end to end. It will provide 350,000 mwh per year, which is enough to provide energy for 92,000 homes.
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has been contacted for comment.