Residents left concerned by Windel Energy and Canadian Solar's plans for Mallard Pass on Stamford and Rutland border
Concerned residents are expressing grave concerns in a public consultation for a huge solar farm.
Windel Energy and Canadian Solar have launched a second round of public consultation on their plans for Mallard Pass.
The area earmarked spreads outwards from Essendine towards Aunby, Carlby, Braceborough, Uffington and Ryhall, and is a development so large it will be decided by the Government's Planning Inspectorate rather than in Lincolnshire or Rutland.
While Mallard Pass is not quite as close to Stamford as some villages, residents have concerns.
A consultation event was held at Stamford Town Hall on Wednesday (June 29).
One Stamford resident not only opposes the Mallard Pass Solar Farm but also solar farms in general believing tidal energy is the way forward.
“I don’t like it one iota,” he said. I’m very pleased the MP for Rutland is making a very big noise about it.”
The St Mary’s ward resident added that having a large solar farm will cause further issues on the A1, which is already blocked most days with crashes.
A Carlby resident attending the event was left concerned by the map, which she believes is confusing and described it as making her ‘bad tempered’.
“This is something people don’t want on their doorstep,” she added.
Marion Pitt is among the Stamford town councillors opposing the plans.
She said: “I think it’s absolutely shocking. We do not have the climate to want this.
“The thing that concerns me is that it will be a blot on the landscape. I hadn’t realised [the solar panels] were so high.”
She believes that if the farm was in the middle of nowhere there would be fewer objections.
Stamford town councillor Andrew Croft questioned the efficiency of the chosen solar panels.
Consultation events and action group meetings
The final Mallard Pass Stage Two consultation event will take place as follows:
- There will be an online webinar on Tuesday (July 5) from 6pm until 8pm . Join at www.mallardpasssolar.co.uk/have-your-say
Mallard Pass Action Group is holding its own public information events as follows:
- Monday (July 4) at 8pm in Uffington Village Hall
- Wednesday (July 6) at 8pm in Braceborough Village Hall
- Thursday (July 7) at 8pm in Carlby Village Hall
- Friday (July 8) at 8pm in Essendine Village Hall
- Saturday (July 9) at 10am in Greatford Village Hall
- Sunday (July 10) at 10am in Ryhall Village Hall
Mallard Pass responds to concerns
Almost 1,000 people have expressed their views on the solar farm plans.
During a six week ‘Stage One’ consultation at the end of last year, the top three concerns were ecology and wildlife, landscape and visual impact, and land use and agriculture.
The Stage Two consultation is a legal process to help shape the developers’ plans.
A spokesperson for Mallard Pass Solar Farm said: “Our goal during our 10-week Stage Two statutory consultation is to receive feedback on our updated proposals for Mallard Pass Solar Farm.
“It is in our interest to publicise this consultation well, and we are confident in our range of publicity activities, which were developed through consultation with local authorities on our Statement of Community Consultation.”
The spokesperson added that they had been using digital and offline advertising, and had leafleted 13,000 properties in the area.
Initially Mallard Pass planned for 570 hectares of the site area as potentially suitable for solar development but this has been reduced by more than 100 hectares following feedback.
It is now proposing to build on a site measuring 463 hectares.
The spokesperson said: “We have been able to reduce the area considerably whilst still keeping the 350 megawatts output.”
They put this down to refinements.
They also confirmed that the exact configuration for the solar panels has not been decided but they could be up to 3.2m tall.
Residents have until August 4 to submit their response to Mallard Pass.
