We desperately need your help to save our beautiful countryside from the huge solar array application along Grays Lane.
By helping us, you will be helping prevent the spread of ill considered solar development in our local area, protecting the historic landscape character we all cherish.
Grays Lane, Wissett and the surrounding area is a rural, countryside location abundant in ecological, heritage and community characteristics. It is home to an important array of native wildlife (many of which are protected) including otters, kingfishers, great crested newts, several species of owl, kestrels, buzzards, an abundance of moths, birds and other flora and fauna that have been extensively recorded by residents of the local community. It contains dozens of listed buildings, at least two scheduled ancient monuments and a number of other heritage features. It is land characterised by its rich farming history and has been deemed by local planning policy as of significant value both in terms of character and heritage.
The solar development surrounding Grays Lane is proposed as one of the largest in the UK and is set to detrimentally impact not only a significant area of prime agricultural land but also the unique character of this landscape and the rural community which reside there.
Green and renewable energy generation is, of course, an important part of the drive to combat climate change, however developments of this kind need to be part of both national and local strategy. By the developers own admission, Grays Lane was not selected for this reason but instead only for its connection to the national grid and the amenability of a land owner. No consideration was given for the above mentioned factors which give this area it's particular quality and significance.
Developers tell us that covering hundreds of acres in glass, metal and concrete is a good, ‘green’ use of our farmland. But these developments are a highly inefficient use of high quality land and an ineffective way to produce sustainable power in our cloudy climate. We also need to consider the carbon footprint and social justice associated with the panels themselves, most of which come from China and with no strategy in place for there end of life, meaning it is likely they will end up in landfill.
There is an existing 70 acre solar farm in Wissett. The combination of this with the proposed new development would leave 15% of Wissett under solar panels. This substantial change in character to the local area could then have very real connotations for future industrial scale solar development there. This is made further concerning by the landowner involved with this proposed development, owning significantly more land in and around Wissett, Spexhall and Rumburgh.
Solar technology, though renewable, comes with a large number of risks, hazards and environmental impacts including noise, fire risk, flooding (which has been seen to be an issue with the existing Wissett solar development) and end of life disposal. It is apparent none of these factors have been planned for or mitigated against in the proposed development and almost all of which would have a huge detrimental effect on the landscape, heritage, ecology and/or community.
A steering group has been set up which has met and consulted extensively with the communities that the solar farm is set to impact and has received significant and overwhelming objection to the proposal on many fronts.
The developers looking to install this solar farm have significant funds and resources at their disposal and for this reason we have set up this donation page in order to fund the assessments, legal advice, reports and administration involved in submitting a coherent, cohesive and robust objection. Renewable technology implementation needs to be planned, legislated and strategised in order that both it offers the best long term climate benefit whilst also ensuring unique and valuable rural landscapes are protected. It is a strongly held community belief that this proposed solar farm is, quite simply, in the wrong place.
Can you support us in this vital campaign?
Any and all donations will go towards supporting an objection to the solar farm and supporting the local community with their own objections.
We thank you for any donations you are able to make to help us with the necessary tools to inform our community and defend our land from inappropriate solar development.
For more detailed information in relation to solar farm technology and research, PACE developers, local heritage buildings and a short film showcasing the value and importance of this area please head to www.savegrayslane.org