The footpaths that wind through this glorious open countryside area have been a source of solace, joy, and community for myself and so many others in our local villages and hamlets for many a lifetime. This land is not only a patch of earth; it is the very fabric of our everyday country life, an integral part of our heritage, where families gather, friends stroll, and wildlife thrives.

However, this beloved landscape is now under threat. A proposal is currently underway to develop a solar farm in this cherished area, which will transform vast stretches of our countryside into rows of featureless glass/plastic panels, enclosed by metal frames and secured by fencing. 

Thus the development of this solar farm would not just see a dramatic change in the scenery, impacting not just the views, but the very essence of our way of life. The footpaths that have been freely used for generations will be disrupted, the habitats of local wildlife potentially destroyed, and the cohesion of our community strained.

We need to carefully consider the balance between pursuing sustainable energy solutions and preserving valuable, unspoiled green spaces. Alternative sites for the solar farm should be explored—locations that do not infringe on our daily lives, the habitats of our wildlife, and the heritage of our local communities.

Also a topic of some relevance in today's ever changing world, is the abandoning of the large unused farm itself at Trevarthian, it could so easily be recommissioned again as a working farm with huge potential to further enhance the area's food security, it's not that difficult to read and hear on the news almost daily that urgent action is needed to secure the UK’s food supply in the face of the imposition of tariffs, and a very fragile global food security supply chain.

A recent report said the UK’s post-second world war food system was no longer fit for purpose, and the country’s food security was in a precarious state.

Almost a decade after the UK’s Brexit vote, the country still had no coherent food policy, despite the fact that nearly a third of our food still comes from the EU.

The report’s author, Tim Lang, emeritus professor of food policy at City St George’s, University of London, called for new legislation to ensure the state was obliged to feed the public in a time of crisis, I wonder what Mr.Lang would make of all this agricultural land being lost for over a generation....

Contrary to what St.aubyn representatives were informing the public at the meeting in March, the actual truth concerning financial rewards from a development such as this, is simply the landowners who lease their land for solar power generation can make a considerable amount of money. The returns from solar land leases typically greatly exceed those from traditional agricultural practices. Solar farms offer a guaranteed, long-term income stream.

Industry standards suggest rental income for solar farms can be around £1,000 per acre per year, significantly more than what farmers might make from traditional farming. Some landowners even receive "top-up" payments based on a percentage of the solar farm's revenue, which can further increase their income. 

Although the size of the proposed solar farm has been scaled down, for a third time, now significantly less than was talked about during that consultation in St.Pirans Hall in March, the point to take away here is that once the infrastructure is in place, and the connections made to the existing sub station in Gwallon, the other larger sites that were earmarked in previous plans, will be granted permission for expansion with less scope for objection, and those will be the area's containing footpaths and public access. 

If St.Aubyn estates are keen to increase their green credentials we would urge them to reinstate the farms that are currently empty and embrace regenerative farming techniques and avail of government resources being offered to those who are truly keen on bio diversity and increasing food quality and production.

If you feel opposition to any plans to build a solar farm in this area resonates with you, please take a few minutes to object on the Cornwall council website planning application ref # PA25/04503.

Please also sign this petition to raise awareness and keep sharing on social media, this can then be used to show the local resistance to the plans. Your 'signature' can make a difference.

A local communities action group within the area has now taken this petition to heart to expand its reach on social media.

(You may have to confirm your signature by acknowledgement of an email from change.org, do not commit to sending money, unless you want to support change.org)