Proposal for 3,700-acre solar farm on agricultural land

The public has been invited to provide feedback regarding a proposal to establish a solar panel installation spanning 3,700 acres (1,500 hectares) on agricultural land. Kingsway Solar intends to site these panels across three distinct land parcels in south Cambridgeshire and construct 14km (8.6 miles) of overhead power lines. Kingsway Solar has scheduled a series of public consultation events for the current month, with upcoming sessions planned for the villages of West Wratting and Great Wilbraham, alongside an online consultation set for 2 December. David Vernon, who serves as the project lead for Kingsway Solar, stated: “We will use all the feedback to this stage of consultation, as well as ongoing environmental assessments, to develop our proposals further.” Mr. Vernon explained that the purpose of the consultation was to collect community perspectives and identify any potential issues or concerns related to the project. Mr. Vernon commented: “Where there’s the opportunity to develop solar projects of this scale it’s our view that we should be taking those opportunities.” He added: “Here is very much, in our view, an area [where] we can deliver a sizable requirement to that national need.” The proposed solar farm is projected to have an annual generating capacity of 500 megawatts, which Kingsway Solar asserts would be sufficient to power 175,000 homes. The plans encompass agricultural land situated near the villages of West Wratting, Willingham Green, Weston Colville, and Balsham. Furthermore, Kingsway is devising a 14km (8.6 mile) “connection corridor” that would utilize overhead power lines to link with an established substation located in Burwell. Given the substantial scale of the development, the ultimate determination will rest with Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, instead of local planning authorities. Previously this year, a solar farm covering 2,500 acres (1,011 hectares) situated on the border between Cambridgeshire and Suffolk received government endorsement. The Sunnica project is also slated to connect to the substation located at Burwell. Mr. Vernon stated: “We are aware of the proximity of Kingsway Solar to Sunnica, and will consider this and other developments in the local area as part of our cumulative impact assessment.” Certain local residents have expressed apprehension regarding the solar farm’s potential effects on agricultural land and public footpaths in the vicinity. Mike Davey, a local who regularly walks his dogs in the area, remarked: “I just think it’s going to completely destroy the biodiversity of the area and the land use that we use it for.” He added: “It’s going to take that away from us.” Holly Venn, who operates a coffee shop, indicated she was “not too keen” on the concept of the solar farm being positioned in such close proximity to the villages. Miss Venn suggested: “I know it’s got to go somewhere, but roofs or land that’s not on a public footpath maybe.” Miss Venn expressed a desire for further information regarding the environmental impact of solar panels and associated batteries. She further stated: “I would like to know about how recyclable things are, and long-term – how long these things last.” The initial phase of public consultation on these plans will remain open until midnight on 12 December, with a statutory consultation scheduled to commence early next year.