The cases for and against building Mallard Pass Solar Farm in Lincolnshire and Rutland
An application by Mallard Pass Solar Farm Ltd to build a solar power generation plant has been submitted to the Government's planning inspectorate.
This means people can now send in their views to support or object to the proposal, so we asked Mallard Pass Solar Farm Ltd and the Mallard Pass Action Group for their views...
The case for Mallard Pass
by Mallard Pass Solar Farm Ltd
We are proposing to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a new solar farm near Essendine, partly situated in Lincolnshire and partly in Rutland.
The project includes infrastructure capable of generating 350megawatts of renewable energy and, due to the project’s generating capacity exceeding 50 megawatts, is classified as a nationally significant infrastructure project.
As a result it needs a development consent order under the Planning Act 2008.
The Mallard Pass development consent order was submitted on November 24 and accepted by the planning inspectorate, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on December 21.
The Mallard Pass Solar Farm project team is inviting members of the public to look over the development consent order application to consider whether they would like to submit a ‘relevant representation’ to the planning inspectorate.
By submitting a relevant representation (a written summary of a person’s views on the application), the person or organisation will then become an ‘interested party’ to the examination.
As such, they will receive ongoing correspondence from the planning inspectorate on how to get further involved. They will also have the opportunity to submit detailed written representations and attend and participate in the examination hearings.
Interested parties are invited to consider the application and the information provided in the Environmental Statement and other application documents.
Members of the public have from Thursday, January 5, until 11.59pm on Thursday, March 2, to register as an interested party and submit their relevant representation to the planning inspectorate, via this link.
The Mallard Pass Solar Farm development consent order application documents are available to view and download at: www.MallardPassSolarFarm.co.uk/documents. They are also on the planning inspectorate project-dedicated webpage.
Before the November 2022 submission of the development consent order, Mallard Pass consulted with local communities across two stages of consultation, refining the plans for the project through this iterative engagement process.
As a result of environmental assessments and feedback received during both the non-statutory Stage One consultation (November 4 to December 16, 2021) and Stage Two statutory consultation (May 26 to August 4, 2022), the development consent order plans for Mallard Pass now include:
- 112 hectares of new tussocky grassland with wildflowers;
- 43 hectares of wildflower grassland with calcareous species;
- 13.9km of new hedgerow planting;
- 3.7 ha of wet woodland planting;
- 7.5km of new treebelt planting; and
- 8.1km of new permissive paths.
Further, the size of Mallard Pass as a whole has decreased, going from 906 hectares at Stage Two to 852 hectares in the development consent order. This is because photovoltaic arrays have been removed from the proposals (including the removal of the solar photovoltaic site north of The Drift) so as to further protect residential and public amenity, as well as appropriately mitigate visual impacts.
More than 28 per cent (239 hectares) of the Mallard Pass Solar Farm land will be retained and continue to be used for agricultural production.
Furthermore, 419 hectares of grassland beneath the solar photovoltaic arrays, will continue to support the agricultural industry through grazing, fodder production or both.
In addition to the generation of secure, low-cost, decarbonised and renewable energy, Mallard Pass would deliver a 72 per cent biodiversity net gain for local species’ habitats, improve green infrastructure connectivity through the creation of ecological corridors, as well as enhance and create new recreational routes.
The case against Mallard Pass
by Sue Holloway, chairman of Mallard Pass Action Group
Mallard Pass Action Group is very concerned for the community, many of whom strongly oppose the solar farm.
1,042 people responded to Stage Two consultation between May 26 and August 4, a huge response.
It is essential people now register as an 'interested party', so their voice can be fully heard.
Frustratingly, all feedback to date has gone straight to Mallard Pass. Finally the application is going to be assessed by the government's planning inspectorate.
The site footprint hasn’t really changed, it’s still unprecedented in scale.
Some highway areas have been removed, and all woodland areas enveloped by the solar panels.
It seems ironic Mallard Pass talks about 'enhancements', yet doesn't want to manage the existing woodlands, a great opportunity to ensure the right habitat and wildlife corridors can be established.
The solar area has reduced in size for the third time, yet still plans to deliver up to the maximum 350megawatts. Surely an experienced developer knows how much land they need at the beginning?
What they don’t mention is the extra 25 per cent required in field margins, taking yet more valuable farmland out of food production.
Consultations should be about being open with the community. It’s only now we find out that cabling may run though Essendine to the new sub-station, creating such significant street works they have to invoke compulsory acquisition ‘rights’ over all residents affected, whether roadside in Essendine or elsewhere around the site.
The disruption could be huge for two years.
Mallard Pass will claim to have listened to feedback.
While they have increased the number of permissive paths, they have totally missed the point people don’t want to walk surrounded by industrial infrastructure.
The 3.3m high panels will tower over the countryside, destroying any view and sense of well-being.
They continue to ignore the fact planning policy states that best and most versatile land should not be developed, yet their latest revised figures still constitute 41 per cent of the solar area.
The new sub-station is going to be both visible and audible to Essendine residents, at more than 12m high.
The existing sub-station was more sensitively sited, screened by mature woodland. Surely there were better options?
The case against Mallard Pass
by Rutland MP Alicia Kearns (Con)
If you want to have a say on Mallard Pass, you have to do so before March 2, or you can’t submit a view at any point in the process thereafter. Taking a few minutes to do so now ensures you can say as much, or as little, as you like later in the planning process.
My parliamentary petition against the development has already been signed by more than 2,500 people locally, demonstrating strong opposition within our rural community.
We can stop this development, but we all need to do our part and make clear to the planning inspectorate why Mallard Pass is wholly inappropriate for this area.
If you want to sign the petition, please email Alicia.kearns.mp@parliament.uk and I’ll post you a copy.
Plans have been revealed for a solar farm south of Pilton in Rutland.
A proposed solar farm could also be constructed near Exton.
What do you think of building solar farms in this area? Email smeditor@stamfordmercury.co.uk