A proposal by PS Renewables and EDF power solutions UK to build a new 1000 hectare solar farm around Camber, Lydd and Dungeness faced wide-ranging objections in the Rye Town Council’s Planning and Townscape Committee meeting on Monday 24 November.
The committee had been given the opportunity to give input on environmental issues as part of an early stage consultation programme.
Councillor Fiddimore led a discussion concluding that the project was unacceptable, citing the loss of productive agricultural land, the loss of unique marsh habitat and sites of special scientific interest. Councillor Rogers raised concerns about the ethical production of the solar panels themselves while Councillor Stuart suggested that some designs can allow a level of agricultural activity beneath the panels.
The debate concluded with a request to ask planners to clarify what provisions are being put in place to protect the unique habitat and ecosystem of the marsh.
In other business, the meeting was briefed on the Neighbourhood Plan and the status of housing developments in Rye. An increased housing target for the construction of 325 dwellings has been communicated by Rother District Council, with councillors hearing concerns that this included some “developer led” plans for unacceptably high housing density – some at central London levels.
Councillors also heard how the lack of confirmed social housing plans has increased the pressure on locally driven activities to fill the gap. Work is continuing on developing plans for a Community Land Trust to potentially purchase East Sussex County Council land in Tilling Green, while plans for a small scale housing development on the Cricket Salts continue.
On a positive note, developments in Rye will result in increased revenue for the town from the community infrastructure levy, though levels of funding have not as yet been quantified.
The next full town council and planning committee meetings are scheduled for 8 December at 6.30pm.
Image Credits: South Brooks Solar Farm .
I believe the Council, many years ago, also opposed the wind turbines that now grace our view toward Kent. Leaflets stated the noise would be heard in Rye, it would kill masses of birds, ruin the view, disrupt the uniqueness of the marsh, etc. None of which came to pass. Mmm…No solar, no fracking, no coal mining, no nuclear, not in my back yard.
How has it not ruined the view? 25 turbines of which 4 or 5 usually are not functioning but earning the operators huge sums in compensation paid for by us the customers. I have not seen any estimates of bird fatalities but the operators and maintenance staff should know whether that fear proved justified.
One has to smile Rye Neighbourhood Plan are against building on a brownfield site on harbour road, saying the strategic gap must remain,but saying nothing about building on the football and cricket Salts, which are on greenfield land, and was left to the people of this town,for recreational use.
Building on the strategic gap will be visible from the citadel, add to that the flood risk and there’s no chance it will happen.
It’s time people in Rye stopped talking about flood plains, the developers are one step ahead, look at Rock Channel, and western barn, all built on flood plains,with the garages built underneath, at ground level, and all passed by the relevant authorities.
Use the brownfield site first, for housing!
Solar and wind projects are a massive waste of tax payers money. Why do you think are energy bills are the highest in the world, our bills loaded with carbon taxes, and subsidies for generators, whilst gas prices have come down? Wind and solar has proven to be unreliable, and damaging to the environment. Why on earth anyone would consider investing in this solar farm – apart from those seeking the opportunity to receive huge government subsidies? Net zero has now been completely discredited, we need nuclear, and gas fired power stations, not this rubbish, which will not last 20 years.
Last year, for the first time, the UK produced more energy from renewable sources than from fossil fuels. We need to keep going and ween ourselves off of expensive and dirty fuels supplied by the likes of Putin and middle Eastern despots.
Fields of solar panels properly managed can provide wildlife sanctuaries which will be home to a far greater diversity of flora and the insecticide riddled monocultures that have been inflicted on the land for decades.
I want my kids to grow up in a beautiful, clean, environmentally friendly country where we know turning on a lightbulb isn’t contributing to destroying the planet or funding a dictator.