Formal complaint submitted

(March 13, 2023) Residents of villages near farmland where a fourth new, industrial-size solar farm in Rutland has been proposed have joined forces and made a formal complaint to Rutland County Council over its handling of the proposed development between Pilton and Morcott.

Rutland Solar Action Group says the county council failed to follow its own rules in not requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment for the 80-hectare (200-acre) Staveley Solar Farm development.

And at a meeting with Alicia Kearns, the group called for a moratorium on applications which could swamp the county with huge solar farms at the expense of valuable agricultural land, negatively affecting food security.

Douglas Reid, Director of Rutland Solar Action Group Ltd, said: “We are in favour of renewable energy and a balanced national energy strategy comprising solar, but not the unregulated mass destruction of farmland, which is required more than ever to ensure local and national food security.

“It’s regrettable we have had to make a formal complaint against our own county council, but we believe it has failed to follow due process in agreeing with the developer that an Environmental Impact Assessment was not required for this development.”

Now, Rutland Solar Action Group has called on Alicia Kearns MP to push the Government for a moratorium on a wave of solar farm proposals that threaten to overwhelm agricultural land while strategy, policy and regulation is developed to better balance energy and food sustainability.

Morcott and North Luffenham parish councils have voted to oppose the proposed development.

Staveley Solar Farm is one of four new solar farm proposals for Rutland that could eventually cover nearly 3% of the county’s land area – far beyond the 0.3% national target set by government to meet net zero climate goals.

The development is being proposed by a consortium led by Bluestone Energy Ltd and Anglian Water, a private water company which is 85% overseas owned and whose shareholders include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Energy generated will not supply homes, but will instead be supplied almost exclusively to Anglian Water.

Rutland Solar Action Group says solar generation should be focused on brownfield sites and rooftops, not farmland. Staveley Solar Farm would use 80-hectares of arable fields and pasture.

“Unfortunately, this proposal is not about sustainability and the environment, but reducing costs and boosting the profits of a large private company,” continued Douglas Reid.

“At a time when water companies are facing serious questions about their environmental stewardship and excessive executive pay, this proposal – which does not directly benefit the local community – has aggrieved the residents of Rutland. We expect our county council to represent everyone’s best interests by following planning process correctly and national government to get a grip and put appropriate regulation in place to stop this greed-fuelled goldrush.”