Norfolk countryside ‘under attack’ from solar panels warns council leader – THOUSANDS of acres of farmland at risk

Thousands of acres of farmland are being put “under attack” from solar farm developers according to a council leader.

Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council called the plans a “creeping abuse” of the countryside and said the county should resist them.

The Tory Council leader was speaking after energy companies unveiled separate plans to create the UK’s largest two solar farms in Norfolk.

Billig called the plans “deeply disturbing” announcing her opposition at a meeting of Norfolk County Council.

She said: “It’s something that I think we should all be worried about – the deeply disturbing plethora of applications for so-called solar farms.

“I do not call them farms, because they are anything but that. What they are is taking up valuable agricultural land which should be used for food production.”

One of the developments, called High Grove, would cover 4,000 acres of land on five sites close to Dereham and Swaffham, on either side of the A47. The other, East Pye, would cover 2,700 acres on 34 fields surrounding several villages close to the A140 near Long Stratton.

Local councils will not be able to block the two Norfolk projects, because they are deemed Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, so will bypass the usual planning process with Ed Miliband, secretary of state for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, having the ultimate say, reports Eastern Daily Press.

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Billig, who is a councillor for Loddon: “I applaud the efforts of parish councils to fight this creeping abuse of our landscape. I will certainly be supporting my parishes, many of whom will be affected, in resisting this latest attack on our county.

“Norfolk is not a place to be exploited by the Government in its efforts to feed the power-hungry southeast, especially when local people will not even benefit from it.”

She compared the applications to controversial proposals for pylons stretching from near Norwich to Tilbury, where power from offshore Norfolk wind farms would be transferred to South East England.

Billig added: “This is another example of how the government doesn’t care about Norfolk. They will happily rape us of our commodities, but give us nothing in return. I, for one, am not going to stand for it and I hope the rest of the council will support me in this.”

RWE, developing High Grove, has launched its initial consultation into its projects. Mike Greslow, project manager for High Grove, said: “We understand the importance of community consultation, as only by working with local people can we ensure the best possible scheme is delivered.”

Developers Island Green Power, behind plans for the East Pye Solar farm near the A140, say it will power hundreds of thousands of homes and play a key role in helping the UK hit ambitious net-zero targets.

It said wildlife enhancement measures would be considered and said it would be looking for suggestions from the local community when it launches consultation later this year.