22 hectares of Newcastle’s Green Belt could be lost to make way for a huge solar farm for Newcastle International Airport. 
 
Part of the Ouseburn Catchment Wildlife Enhancement Corridor could be fenced off with a 2.8-metre-high fence and in-filled with thousands of solar panels.
 
The plans (2021/1818/01/DET), if approved, would see loss of hedgerows, trees, grassland and productive agricultural land. 
 
They could also see loss of habitat for rare and declining birds, such as Song Thrush and Skylark and Whitethroat and Willow Warbler, as well as habitat that supports Brown Hare, Short-eared Owl, frogs, toads and newts, including Great Crested Newts.
 
The airport recently developed a 175,000-square-foot business park. This was a huge opportunity to incorporate renewable energy, which the airport passed up on.
 
There is therefore no justification for severing this important wildlife corridor and destroying wildlife habitat while there are alternative sites.
 
Newcastle City Council – who has shares in Newcastle Airport – could work with Newcastle Airport and developers to deliver solar energy on already developed land around the airport, without the need for further loss of Green Belt and wildlife.
 
We strongly support renewable energy schemes but not in this location.
 
Our city could have skylarks and song thrushes as well as solar panels, without the destruction of Newcastle’s wildlife corridors and Green Belt.
 
Please add your voice and ask Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Airport to work together to deliver renewable energy on already developed land that does not harm wildlife and green space.