West Briton (Falmouth, Penryn, Helston, The Lizard)
Solar farm firm says residents have nothing to fear on ‘concrete prison’ plans
THE company behind plans for a huge solar park in the countryside between Truro and Newquay have responded to residents who likened the proposed 125,000-panel array to a “glass and concrete prison”.
Representatives of Downing Renewable Developments LLP say the proposed 210-acre solar park would actually improve the site – a rural valley at Hendra, near Mitchell – rather than ruining it, as local people warned at a public meeting.
The farm, to be called Fairpark, between Carland Cross and Landrine would have a generating capacity of 49.9MW and run for 30 years.
More than 100 people, including farmers, attended a meeting at St Erme Community Centre to air their worries about the planning application.
Residents and business owners choked back tears as they told the packed meeting how they feared the giant solar park – a quarter of the size of Truro – could blight hundreds of acres of countryside and ruin lives.
Ken Evans, who runs wedding and holiday let business Hendra Barns with his wife Maggie in the heart of the proposal site, said: “Since June 2022 our business has been on hold, really. We’ve lost a lot of business from people who’ve found out there could be a solar farm here; we lost four weddings last year.
“If it’s allowed and customers Google us all, they’ll see is solar panels.
“I don’t think we’ll get any more weddings or holidays, because people will be penned in. We’ll be enclosed by a fence; it’ll feel like living in a zoo rather than open countryside.”
Others at the meeting raised concerns about the effect on wildlife, the possible visual impact, flooding from surface water and the loss of agricultural land.
Ameet Juttla, from the company, responded, saying: “It’s not a glass and concrete prison.
“One of the comments that was made was about the fencing.
“Palisade fencing is only around the batteries in a secluded area, which was chosen specifically to ensure that you can’t see it. Apart from that, there will be deer fencing at most.
❝❝
We’re a cradle-tograve developer and constructor. We operate the sites with our own asset team
Ameet Juttla of Downing Renewable Developments LLP
“We’re trying to use existing vegetation and hedgerows as part of the screening. Deer fencing isn’t intrusive at all; it’s 1.8 metres high, a common agricultural fence.
“We’ve taken the wildlife into consideration and undertaken all our ecological assessments, and any form of nesting and birds that are there will remain.
“Wildlife will still be able to remain underneath those panels and have a thriving area to live within, so it’s actually making it better.”
In response to concerns about the loss of agricultural fields, the company has stated: “We note that the majority of the site is not currently used for food production, and the landowner has confirmed that he has no intention to increase food production.”
With respect to visual impact and reflection from the panels, Mr Juttla told the meeting: “The areas that you will see from the A30 are really small and the panels would not face road users, so there won’t be any glint and glare. You’ll only be able to see the panels in small pockets.”
Concerns over flooding appear to exist based on the current land use, says the developer, which notes flooding has increased over recent years.
Regarding this problem, it states: “As part of the project we will implement and maintain a drainage scheme which will reduce rather than increase likelihood of flooding.”
Mr Juttla stressed that the company was not developing the site and then handing it to someone else to run: “We’re a cradle-to-grave developer and constructor. We operate the sites with our own asset team.
“We’re here not to last a couple of years but the entire time period, and to help the community as much as possible. We feel we’ve addressed concerns through the planning statement and local engagement, with the local planning authority and their dedicated teams such as archaeological and flood teams.”
He said if people still had concerns, they were free to speak to the company “and we can show you that everything is OK and will be OK going forward”.
The application, PA23/02629, is available to view on Cornwall Council’s planning portal. It could come before a strategic planning committee meeting as early as next month.