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The proposed Solar Farm Development at Bank Farm constitutes
industrialisation of the countryside using the green credentials of solar power
as an excuse. If the planning permission for a solar farm is granted the rural
nature of the countryside around Aldington and Mersham will be lost forever for
future generations.
Solar power can of course, provide an important contribution to the generation of clean energy, but the full environmental implications of locating solar farms in rural areas have to be considered. The Minister of State for Climate Change, Greg Barker has pledged to “crack down on” solar farms sited in inappropriate parts of the countryside, such as Bank Farm. He also wrote “I am keen for the focus of growth to be firmly on domestic and commercial roof space and previously used land”.
The suitability of using the land at Bank Farm for the development of a solar farm should be questioned
on a number of grounds
- Loss of amenity for residents
- Loss of rural environment for future generations
- Damage to natural habitats
- Loss of agricultural land
- Degradation of historical setting of the area
- Health issues associated with electromagnetic radiation
- Traffic chaos and noise pollution along narrow country lanes
The government has published
guidelines requiring greater community say on wind turbines so our opinion will
count.
- Loss of amenity for residents
Although not shown on the OS Map
provided by environmental consultants URS, the proposed development is
cut by a footpath that provides access from Frith Road.
This footpath affords fantastic views across the Stour
Valley to the North
Downs in the distance, all of which will be lost if the solar farm
is built, thus depriving our community of a valuable amenity.
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| OS Map showing the planned solar development the byway and public footpath |
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Panoramic view from
footpath – to be obliterated by solar panels?
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The byway that links Frith
Road to Bank Road
and bisects the proposed solar development is an important recreational
resource used by walkers, horse riders and mountain bike riders. It provides
fantastic views across open countryside which will be lost if the solar farm
development goes ahead, again a very significant loss of rural amenity.
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Solar panels to the
left , solar panels to the right?
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Panoramic view from
byway across Romney Marsh in distance to be obliterated by solar panels?
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View from byway
across the proposed solar farm to be lost for the residents of Aldington &
Mersham forever?
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- Loss of rural environment for future generations
The rural environment around Aldington and Mersham is under
continual pressure, be it from the new Junction 10 on the M20, the Operation
Stack lorry park, housing estates or solar farms and the views of local
residents are important in stopping these developments. Although you may not be
directly affected by this development, who knows where the next development
will be, maybe next to you?
If 93 acres of countryside is covered with solar panels the
rural environment of Aldington and Mersham will be altered forever and once the
26 year lease expires who knows what this land will be used for?
- Damage to natural habitats
The development of the solar farm will have a
significant impact on natural habitats. A full assessment needs to be carried
out and we have been in contact with the Campaign to Protect Rural England (www.cpre.org.uk) to advise us on this.
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| Buzzards are regularly seen flying over the proposed development area |
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| Important woodland habitat within the proposedsolar farm |
- Health issues associated with electromagnetic radiation
The health issues associated with solar panels are a matter of debate, but there is clearly a body of opinion that believes that there are serious consequences for those living nearby. Solar panels emit low frequency electromagnetic radiation which for the 3-5% of the population who have electromagnetic sensitivity, can cause a burning sensation, headaches, dizzyness, heart palpitations and sickness. More seriously electromagnetic radiation is also associated with
- Leukaemia in Children
-
Brain Tumours
Breast cancer in men and women
•Skin cancer
Lymphoma
here is a link,do a search on the web and make your own mind up
- Loss of agricultural land
The Wanstall Family have been successfully farming the land at Bank Farm for several generations and recent crops have included oil seed rape and wheat. By their own admission the land proposed for the solar development has produced bumper harvests and the land cannot be considered low grade agricultural land suitable for solar farm development as per Government guidelines. Once this land is covered with solar panels its agricultural productivity will be close to zero and the food produced here will have to be sourced elsewhere, further reason for solar farms to be located on brownfield sites as per Government guidelines.
- Traffic chaos and noise pollution along narrow country lanes
The plans submitted by the developer of the proposed solar farm at Pluckley calculated that 359 HGVs ( 718 comings and goings) would access the site during the 12 weeks of construction. The proposed solar farm in Aldington/Mersham is twice the size of that proposed at Pluckley, so that would be 1436 HGV journeys through Aldington and or Mersham accessing the narrow country lanes of Bank Road and Laws Lane.
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| This could be your village! |
- Degradation of historical setting of the area
Bank street which bounds the proposed solar farm to the
north is a Roman Road and fragments of Roman pottery can be found in the fields
of Bank Farm. A number of important finds from the area are to be found in the Beaney Museum in Canterbury.
Stoneless Farm is a grade 2 * listed property and is
located adjacent to the proposed solar farm development which will have a significant
impact on it's setting.
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| Stonelees Farm- Grade 2* Listed Building |
With
reference to the listed Dowle Street buildings which are located 300m from the
proposed solar farm at Pluckley, English
Heritage commented that the agricultural land surrounding these properties
contributes to their significance by providing the context that explains their
historical significance.
Their advice to Ashford Borough Council was “We therefore
disagree with the suggestion in the applicant’s archaeological desk-based assessment
that this setting does not directly contribute to the listed buildings’ significance.
Where the ability to perceive the functional relationship between the listed buildings
and their setting is diminished, as to an extent by the current proposal where the character of agricultural land would be so
radically changed to an array of solar panels, we think that there would be
harm to the significance which they derive from that setting” . Please visit our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/NOSPAM2014?fref=ts or email 2014nospam@gmail.com to join the NOSPAM Action Group
