Residents will get to have their say on a proposed solar farm which would be among the biggest in Lincolnshire.
The Meridian Solar Farm is planned for around 900 acres of land around Spalding and Crowland, and would also include storage batteries and a 13km overhead powerline, writes Local Democracy Reporter Jamie Waller.
The next round of public consultation begins today (Thursday, April 24) and will run until Sunday, June 8, with public meetings planned for Sutton St Edmund, Crowland and Weston.
The final plans – which could reportedly power 215,000 homes – are likely to be submitted to the government by the end of the year.
Downing Renewable Developments, which is behind them, says it will use the further feedback to refine the plans.
David Vernon, head of nationally significant infrastructure projects at DRD, said: “Since we introduced Meridian Solar last summer, we have been working hard to develop a design based on the early feedback received and our ongoing environmental, technical and engineering assessments.
“We’re inviting the public to learn more about and provide feedback on our developed proposals, which is important to help us shape our final designs. We encourage anyone with an interest in Meridian Solar to take part in the consultation.”
Public events will be held at:
- Sutton St Edmund Village Hall – Saturday, May 10, 10.30am – 4.30pm
- Crowland Snowden Pavilion – Wednesday, May 21, 2pm – 8pm
- Weston Village Hall – Thursday, May 22, 2pm – 8pm
The government’s Planning Inspectorate would make a recommendation on whether the “nationally significant” project is given approval, and the Secretary of State for Energy would make the final decision.
Solar farm developers say more renewable energy is needed to reach the government’s targets for net zero.
However, large solar farms have proved controversial in Lincolnshire.
The county council’s portfolio holder for the economy, Councillor Colin Davie (Con), described recent approval of two major projects by the government as a “slap in the face”.
