Is solar farm in planned location such a bright idea?

SOLAR power is a marvellous thing.

We can generate free electricity from the power of the sun and even sell it on to recoup the cost of installing the panels.

Derbyshire County Council is absolutely right to pursue it as an investment and carbonreducing scheme.

And while, on the face of it, the land off Watery Lane, just north of our allotment site, seems perfect, there are a few hitches that members of Derbyshire Dales District Council will hopefully spot before they approve the spending of another £40,000.

Firstly, allotments are a very valuable resource in a world in which we’re being encouraged to feed ourselves in a more healthy and more sustainable way.

The town is expanding and more people are itching to grow their own fruit and veg, so should there be a dilemma over whether this plot of land could be better used to free up more allotment space?

Perhaps more importantly, especially with Ashbourne’s ballooning population in mind, estimates are that we will need a larger cemetery in the next eight to nine years.

As it stands, the land this solar farm would be set up on seems the obvious site on which to expand our burial space.

And while the district council is right, solar farms are indeed temporary structures, if we had to rip it all up in a decade because our cemetery is full, it would be a pretty poor investment.

Or are we being overly pessimistic? Will there be an appetite in 10 years time to have our loved ones buried in graves that run alongside photovoltaic panels?

It’s doubtful, but you never know.

Either way, let’s just hope it’s taken into account.