Solar sites would ‘decimate’ farmland, campaigners fear
SCOTTISH FIRM HAS NOT YET PUT IN PLANS FOR 320-ACRE
PLANS for solar farms covering 320 acres of Derbyshire farmland would “decimate” the surrounding villages and hinder the nation’s ability to sustain itself, campaigners claim.
Campaigners from Denby and Smalley are working together to fend off plans from Scottish firm Intelligent Alternatives, which submitted early plans for two neighbouring solar farms in November last year.
Earlier this week, more than 40 campaigners gathered outside Kidsley Park Farm in Heanor Road, between Smalley and Heanor, to make their presence known – with passing traffic honking horns in support.
Among them was Andrew Dakin, aged 65, a third generation tenant farmer whose family has cultivated Kidsley Park Farm for more than 90 years.
He said he was “totally dumbstruck” when he received a call from a solar farm company saying they would like all of his land.
His grandad John Dakin and his dad John Dakin farmed the land, but Andrew may now be the last to do so if the solar farm schemes are approved.
Andrew said he was first made aware of the plans in May last year and that the campaign to protect the land really kicked off in November, with the submission of an environmental impact assessment to Amber Valley Borough Council and a first campaign meeting at The Bell pub in Smalley.
He said: “It is my way of life. I love the countryside and I want it kept the way it is for future generations.
It is my way of life. I love the countryside and I want it kept the way it is for future generations. Andrew Dakin
“We need to be able to feed the nation and we need as much land as we can. We do need renewable energy but that should not mean we sacrifice our green fields.
“We need food security because at the moment we are reliant on food imports and with all the conflicts, like in Ukraine, we have seen that we need to be able to look after ourselves.
“Brownfield sites and factory roofs would be better places for solar panels and we do need plenty of renewable energy, but we are behind the game and are trying to play catchup by putting them on green fields instead. Companies can make a lot of money out of it but it results in a loss to our community.”
Cllr Amanda Paget, one of the Save Kidsley Park Farm campaign
group coordinators and Amber Valley borough councillor, said: “Andrew’s livelihood is the biggest reason I got involved – it is the human element.
“Environmentally I don’t think this is the right place for solar panels. They should be on rooftops because green fields are great for carbon capture.
“A wind farm would be far more suitable in this area and Andrew could still farm around it.”
She said there were widespread flooding concerns from the plans with the surrounding area already experiencing regular flooding issues, with people’s gardens effectively becoming swimming pools.
Chris Gent, 50, who is coordinating the Save Denby Green Belt campaign, with 120 members, said: “I don’t object to solar energy at all. It just feels wrong to put solar farms on green land, it feels contrary to the
real point.
“While the company is planning two solar farms it is one development really. It will be there for 40 years when a lot of people will no longer be there.
“We want to support these sorts of things but it is just in the wrong place. There is a need to diversify farming and farmers have had a tough time so you can see that if a developer comes along it would be difficult to say ‘no,’ but this is completely inappropriate.”
Georgia Hubbard, aged 22, a charity worker and coordinator for the Save Kidsley Park Farm campaign group, with more than 500 members, said: “We have a lot of support in the community and we have all got involved to help Andrew. I think it is just wrong that a big global company can be allowed to pitch up in the village and take the land a farmer has worked for generations.
“Wealthy people are just turning up and ruining the coun- t r y side.
They think it will just be bulldozed through and we can’t do anything about it. Developers are just looking at a map for substations and then going around buying up land. It is a worry that they can just do that.
“The fact that this is Green Belt should end the conversation. If we don’t stand up they’ll just bulldoze through.”
Bridget Charles, who brought her seven border collies, moved to the area for the countryside access and fears this could be lost. She said: “We will be sandwiched between the two developments and it is going to ruin the countryside for everyone.
“It has ruined my retirement. I was looking forward to tramping around the fields with my dogs but that is at risk. The law should be changed to say buildings have to have solar panels on them and that would help towards the need for solar.
“Denby is a farming village and this is just going to decimate it.”