Solar farm set to get green light?

Controversial plans for a solar farm in Holbeach Bank are recommended to be approved by South Holland District Council.

The 80 hectare (197 acres) site will be filled with ground-mounted solar panels to generate electricity
Despite opposition by council leader Nick Worth, Holbeach Parish Council and receipt of 55 objections, the officer has recommended the plan go ahead.
South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes also wrote opposing the scheme highlighting the loss of agricultural land.
The letter said he shared the views of his constituents that prime land would be lost.
Holbeach Parish Council said it supported green energy but not on the agricultural land of the application.
“The cumulative landscape impacts then would change the fabric of he existing landscape and despite the existence of some industrialised fixtures (pylons etc) the solar farm would heavily industrialise the landscape fabric,” says the report.
“It cannot be denied that the very fabric of the landscape will be subject to altering, even adverse changes. In favour to the proposal is that the land can be made ‘almost’ good following the period of operation, and that its scale is so low it can be screened for large parts at the residual stage.”
The area to the south of Red House Farm, where medieval salterns and remains are known, has been removed from the plans.
Members of the Planning Committee will also be told that it is ‘likely that impact through noise and disturbance will occur during the construction phase, and this will be mitigated through the requirements for a construction environmental management plan.’
There have been a ‘high level’ of objections from local residents.
The issue of glint and glare from the development is also covered in the agenda which says there would be a ‘moderate’ risk in year one.
“Around six in the morning when most people are either asleep or just waking up and for only a limited amount of time, meaning that its impact upon the occupants of the dwellings may be less significant.”
But the march towards green energy is outweighing some of the objections.
“Notwithstanding the impacts upon amenity and character landscape, the UK government as well as the combined South and East Lincolnshire Council Partnership targets to reach next zero by 2050 are a material matter,” the report concludes.
The development will cease on or before a 35-year period from the date of the first electricity is generated and the site restored