Thank you for your continued support with over 2500 signatures on the petition. The ST Council itself admits that the planned Solar Farm does not accord with the current council development or the National Planning framework plan for the area.
None of the residents objections have been addressed by SAFC. The revised SAFC plan submitted to the council for the Solar farm proposes removing the flashpond on the West Field and will remove the wildlife corridors to Boldon Flats present for over 50 years in South Tyneside. This Saturday March 17th at Cleadon Methodist hall, SR6 7UT at 10am ,we are meeting to discuss how to raise our opposition and the intention is to walk as a group to the AoL Westfield to protest publicly.
SAFC misleadingly claim in the press that the Solar farm will supply around 8000 homes but SAFC stated in their planning application that they have already agreed that all the electricity generated will go direct to a private company(not homes).
Both Durham Birds Club and the Countryside Charity(CRPE) have objected because of the Major Adverse effects on the visual impact . Many aquatic birds fly from the coast over the proposed solar array site. A solar array at a location such as this may look like a pond to aquatic birds flying above it. Some birds mistake panels for bodies of water and try to dive into the “water,” which hurts or kills them. Any damage to Solar panels will cause contamination of the Groundwater and Cut throat Dene with Cadmium and Lead , both harmful to human health.
SAFC admitted in the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment(LVIA), that the sensitivity to existing residents of Moor Lane is high and the resulting visual impact is assessed as MAJOR ADVERSE and accept that the proposed development is in conflict with the third purpose of the Green Belt which is to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment. There is no doubt that the proposed development will encroach into this narrow strip of countryside which forms not only part of the green belt but also part of the wildlife and green infrastructure corridor. The iconic views from Cleadon Hills towards Penshaw in particular will be radically altered for the worse .
Current government policy is against foreign ownership of energy infrastructure (cf Dreyfuss is French and owns SAFC).
Erecting a 40MW solar farm consisting of 130,000 solar panels along with an electricity substation 6m by 2.4 m and 2.9 m high, a 2metre security fence and other infrastructure does not meet the requirements to meet the “exceptional circumstances” required to build on the green belt removing any gap between Sunderland and South Tyneside and near Boldon Flats nature reserve, a designated site of specific natural interest . Electricity substations on Solar farms caused large fires due to storage in lithium batteries , leading to noxious fumes ,endangering nearby residents and contaminating the groundwater table.
Noise and light pollution from the Solar panels is known to increase anxiety, sleep disturbances even with low level exposure.
“Renewable” does not mean “zero” carbon. The total weight of CO2 by the introduction of a solar farm is approximately equal to 96,000 metric tonnes of CO2 which is a massive amount of carbon and way off the scale for a zero carbon target. Solar Farms are not environmentally friendly.
Please tell friends about the petition and ask them to sign it as well as other members of your household and family. Join our Facebook Group and come along to protest on Saturday 17th March . Thank you.
Stand Together Against Nature Destruction
Nigel Bundred invited you to join the group Stand Together Against Nature Destruction. Groups are dedicated spaces on Facebook that make it easy to pursue your interests and to connect and get things done with other people.