POTTERNE PARK FARM SOLAR - WRONG PROJECT, WRONG PLACE
VISUAL IMPACT
The impact on the landscape of this proposal is severe. The vast 200-acre site is bigger than the village of Potterne itself! It is on a north facing elevated slope, visible from everywhere in the valley. It affects five public rights of way that are well-used by local walkers, horse riders and visitors alike. This is not a hidden project and will destroy the very character of the valley.
ECOSYSTEM
There are major implications for the delicate ecosystem in the valley. The ancient woodlands to the south of the site are interconnected ecologically with Potterne Park through to Potterne Woods, Potterne Field and Drews Pond to the north. Several protected species are found here roosting and breeding, including 13 species of bats of which two are very rare and whose flight paths extend up to One Tree Hill.
FOOD PRODUCTION
Potterne Park Farm has been farmed for generations and regularly produces yields of winter wheat and grass that are well above the regional average. We cannot afford to lose this quality of land. There is as much need to protect farmland due to the pressures on feeding a growing population and food security (40% of our food is imported) as there is to convert and lose this land for energy production.
SITE ACCESS
Access to the site is hugely problematic. There are real safety issues here. The route from the hazardous A360 at Potterne Wick has no footpath and no passing places when used by HGVs. The route branches into a country lane leading to an old narrow bridge which isn't capable of sustaining HGV traffic. This lane also floods on a regular basis.
PLAYING DIRTY
This application has angered the local community, not only because of the inappropriate nature of the site, but also because of the lack of due process followed by a developer who is clearly gaming the planning system. There has been a clear tactic here by the developer (Stark Energy) to do the minimum upfront and then only respond to the questions asked by the Local Planning Authority (LPA). The LPA had an exhaustive list of questions of the applicant after the first round of consultation, leading to a second set of documents and a second round of consultation. The quality of what was submitted in the original application, and in the follow up, is so poor it ought to be thrown out for being substandard.
None of the questions raised received satisfactory answers! The application is a confusing set of contradictory documents which are error strewn and deliberately misleading. Data has been cut and pasted from other applications and presented as fact. Vehicle numbers have been understated and benefits overstated. Important studies have been glossed over or ignored altogether.
(image from Freedesignfile.com)
WORKING THE PROCESS
In their latest ploy the applicant has rushed in yet another set of new documents at the eleventh hour designed to catch over-worked planning officers off guard to rush through a decision. These were submitted in October 2024 months after the deadline had passed. The applicant appears, however, so confident that the planning authorities are compelled to pass solar applications at any cost, that they will only provide specifics when asked and then challenge through appeal if they don’t get their way. This gaming is disrespectful to the planning process and inevitably leads to a waste of overstretched public resources.
GAMING THE SYSTEM
Stark Energy claim on their website that they are a developer of solar farms. However, Stark have sold all seven of their first projects to gain planning approval (between eight and 21 months after the granting of approval. Only two of these seven projects, both sold to SSE Renewables, have moved into any sort of construction phase. The other five, sold to Metlen Energy and Metals (a Greek based company), don’t show any investment activity. Interestingly Stark Energy describe all these seven projects as “under construction” on their website! Of the other 8 projects in their 'portfolio', four have gained planning approval more recently. Wood Lodge Solar In Northamptonshire had its planning refused at the beginning of this September but Stark have appealed.
PROFIT OVER LOCAL BENEFIT
So, the messages are clear - Stark Energy doesn't seem to have any intention of constructing and operating a solar farm in this country, despite what they say on their website. On the surface there is nothing wrong with a model of gaining planning permission and then selling on (other than they claim to be a developer), but it does bring into question if they have the experience to put together a robust proposal (and we have seen the poor quality of this application!), and it means they don’t have the accountability to deliver on any assurances they give to the planning authority. We should be questioning the wisdom of leaving strategic infrastructure investment in the hands of organisations whose sole purpose is to sell the land and connection agreement to simply profit from the application process.