Solar farm passed after farmer’s plea

A solar farm on the edge of South Holland has been given the go-ahead following a plea by the landowner.

Chris Wray, of Wray Farms, told South Holland District Council’s Planning Committee he was looking to lease 15 per cent of agricultural land for the proposed development near the Boston village of Bicker.
More than half the site, which could provide energy for 18,000 home a year, is in South Holland with 96 per cent on Mr Wray’s land.
He told the committee: “Our family have been farming in Bicker Fen for around 100 years.
“I find it frustrating when people talk about the loss of agricultural land.
“I see myself as a custodian of the countryside. I live there, it supplies my income and I want it to be as good or better for the next generation to farm.
“Sadly recently with growing costs and cheap imports, the margin I make on these crops come in less and less.
“To keep my business viable I’m always looking for alternatives.”
He told the meeting that despite it being classed as quality agricultural land it was ‘heavy land’ the return on crops for which is ‘limited’ and that there was a weed problem.
“The feasibility of this land for food production is borderline, hence the reason for environmentally-friendly solar panels and it can be farmed again when panels are removed,” he said referencing a pledge to return it to agricultural land in 40 years.
He also said the plans by ARG Solar would increase wildlife ‘ten-fold’ due to proposed hedges and skylark nesting site being put in and sheep sourced to graze the land.
“Once established it might mean a return to the areas looking something like I remember them as a boy,” he said.
Luke Rogers of AGR said: “Bicker Fen substation is one of the few across the country with sufficient spare capacity for the new generation now.
“If approved the solar farm will be generating energy into the grid by June 2025 without the need for disruptive grid upgrades.”
Several councillors voiced concerns too many solar farms were being proposed.
Coun Henry Bingham said: “Lincolnshire seems to be being inundated with solar farms.
“We’re going to end up covering all our best land in the country with stuff to supply.”
Coun Bryan Alcock echoed that sentiment and said that government policy “seems to be a preference to generate electricty rather than crops.
“When do you say hang on a minute, the landscape is changing to such a dramatic effect we need to say stop?”
But planning chairman James Avery said he had ‘comfort’ South Holland wouldn’t be a ‘dumping ground for solar farms’ as this application would be cheaper to run due to it being near a connection point.
“I think this country has a major problem with energy security in advance of food security,” he said. “I’m not diminishing the fact this country will have an issue with food security but given we have the targets for renewable sources of energy, these solar farms are going to keep cropping up and they are preferable to other installations.”