The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Anger grows as energy park plans go on display
Residents raise concerns about rural Peterborough in face of solar panel plans
Controversial plans to turn farmland into energy parks with wind turbines and solar panels triggered an angry outburst at the first public consultation event yesterday.
Peterborough City Council is seeking public reaction to its proposed solar and wind farms, which are planned to be built near Thorney and Newborough, yesterday at Bedford Hall, Thorney.
A number of residents living near the farms affected turned up, including Nigel Marden ( 54) of The Reaches, Thorney. Hesaid: “One of the solar farms is being placed in front of my picture window which looks out to Crowland.
“I am also concerned about a fire risk - and on the other side of the road there is a gas station.
“It is also taking up good quality agricultural land.
“Peterborough City Council is not taking its responsibility to the country side seriously enough.”
Andy McBeath ( 63) and wife Sheila ( 66) moved to a house next door to America Farm, which would be one of the farms affected if the proposals are given the go ahead, in July last year.
Mr McBeath said: “The first we heard about this was when the farmer at America Farm told us.
“We have not received any phone calls or letters from the council, and we have been rushing to gather information.
“There will be 45,000 panels 11 feet high near our home. Instead of open agricultural land, the area will be turned into an industrial zone.
“We have seen the plans for the screening, to use trees and bushes to block the view from houses around the edge of the farm, but our house will not get any screening.
“We have been to look at a similar scheme in Whittlesey, which was much smaller, with smaller panels, and further away from houses.
“If we need to have this energy farm, it could be smaller, with fewer panels and smaller panels.
“I am currently writing a complaint to the planning authority and chief executive of the council about the poor consultation we have had. It has not been good enough.”