As residents of Dodington Parish we need your support! 

In the coming months, RWE, a German energy company, will be submitting a planning application to develop two sites totalling around 100 acres of farmland, into industrial solar production, this includes farm land adjacent to the Wapley Bushes Nature Reserve, and the historical Mousewell Farm (or 'Mowswell'),  fully enclosing the farm house and surrounding fields in 2 metre high fencing with a perimeter of security cameras for the next 40 years, and most likely beyond that.

With the push for 'cleaner' energy production, the lowering cost of solar panels, and the relaxation of planning constraints favouring big developers,  there is currently a gold rush mentality for investors and landowners that can profit from it.

Unfortunately, will come at a great cost to the local communities that surround the sites where the panels will be situated (Westerleigh, Chipping Sodbury, Old Sodbury, Yate...)  and will change the landscape for current and future generations.

WHY SHOULD YOU SIGN? 

1) There is no win. Residents will not benefit and neither will nature. Locking out farmland for local use for such a long period of time will be devastating for the community and biodiversity. When you cover fields with glass it's impossible not to negatively effect nature! Our rural landscape and the diverse wildlife and ecology that exists within it WILL SUFFER. 

Also, whilst the energy produced will be sold to the grid there is no guarantee that it will be used locally and our energy bills continue to rise! 

2) Severe disruption for residents and commuters, with up to 12 months of HGV traffic on rural roads during construction. These roads are already pushed past their limits, especially with the closure of the Badminton Road (M4 Overpass) bridge. 

3) Solar should be used on roofs and industrial wasteland not precious farmland of great historical heritage/value. Westerleigh in particular is so old it is in the Domesday book. While we acknowledge the need for sustainable energy solutions, the scale and location of this proposed solar installation is unacceptable.

We believe that the citing of solar panels should be prioritised on roofs, particularly in new buildings, both residential and industrial, especially given the huge expanse in development that is happening to the East of Bristol.

Please join us in taking a stand to protect the green belt outside of Chipping Sodbury from an unwanted industrial solar installation by signing this petition - Thank you so much!