Does 'Heathrow-sized' solar farm test the power of local feeling?

A solar farm which has been likened to the size of Heathrow Airport has been planned for rural Cambridgeshire, to power up to 175,000 homes. However, two councils have raised concerns about the consultation. So what does this mean for the proposals?

Kingsway Solar Farm is set to cover more than 3,000 acres of farmland in East Cambridgeshire, but residents have told the BBC it could "envelope" the villages of Balsham, West Wratting, Weston Colville and Weston Green.

It has been classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), meaning Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will have the final say.

Kingsway said it had "carried out a robust and compliant multi-phase consultation programme, in accordance with the relevant legislation".

But in response to a Planning Inspectorate request, both East Cambridgeshire and South Cambridgeshire District Councils have raised concerns.

Stephen Kelly, planning director at South Cambridgeshire, said: "The council considers that the documentation relied upon for consultation... made it difficult to develop a clear and comprehensive understanding of the likely significant effects."

He went on to say that agendas and meeting notes were "often provided at very short notice or retrospectively", and that environmental and technical information "was not shared at key stages".

"Collectively, this approach has adversely impacted upon the council's ability to shape the development of the scheme, respond constructively to emerging evidence, and agree appropriate mitigation measures.

"Engagement has therefore been largely procedural and one-directional, rather than collaborative and iterative."

Meanwhile, in East Cambridgeshire planning committee papers, officials argued that Kingsway had not complied with part of the Planning Act, in that it "did not have regard to ECDC's concerns regarding the information provided in the consultation process, to allow consultees to make an informed opinion regarding the development".

Their planning meeting on Wednesday was told the implications of their response to the Planning Inspectorate could be that it would not accept the current submission of the plans, but it was acknowledged the chance of this was "fairly low".

Tony Day, from the Kingsway Solar Community Action group, said it was "unsurprising" the councils were concerned.

"We haven't seen any evidence of [Kingsway] taking our concerns into account whatsoever," he said.

Down a track road from the village of Balsham, Day told the BBC: "An area about the size of Heathrow Airport is going to be put under panels and we're seeing a large swathe of that area here.

"This can't be screened because it's the highest point in Cambridgeshire and you can see Ely Cathedral on a good day across the valley there, and from Ely Cathedral you would be able to see much of this development."

He said the group was "not opposed to solar energy at all", adding: "I've been teaching, researching it all my professional life. And there is a smaller solar farm near us and nobody is particularly bothered about that."

But he said: "You'll be covering 1,250 hectares of some of the best agricultural land in East Anglia with solar panels, so you'll be taking that out of food production."

Nick Acklam, a parish councillor in Reach, where the concern is about pylons as well as the impact on two Anglo Saxon dykes, says there has been a "fundamental failure to listen to or respond to our concerns".

"We raised concerns, we raised questions, we offered alternatives and we offered to participate in coming up with a better way of going forward," he said.

"We didn't even have an acknowledgement to our letter."

Speaking about the council comments about the consultation, he said: "I think it's a very significant moment.

"There's no denying that we are facing some real challenges, and there's no denying that people, broadly speaking, support a move away from carbon-based electricity.

"What concerns us, I think, is that developers are not consulting with local communities to take account of their concerns."

Asked if he thinks this intervention from the authorities could end the proposals, he said: "I really don't know.

"I think that's really one for the planning inspector to take a decision on, but I think, as things stand at the moment, there are some very serious concerns about the calibre and quality of this particular application."

Cambridgeshire County Council, another consultee, said it was "currently considering our own response, in line with planning legislation, which has been requested by the Planning Inspectorate".

Kingsway Solar declined an interview, but in a statement their head of NSIP projects, David Vernon, said: "The project represents a significant investment into the UK's energy infrastructure.

"If consented it will produce substantial amounts of reliable, clean, affordable, home-grown electricity which will help meet the growing needs of the country.

"Kingsway Solar is committed to bringing forward a high-quality scheme in alignment with the best practice in project development and design, and in complete compliance with all legislative and regulatory standards.

"A crucial part of the project's development has been the regular and detailed engagement held with local communities and stakeholders to ensure their inputs are reflected in the project."

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