BUT DID You know?
Public Rights of Way
Public Rights of Way
There are five Public Rights of Way impacted by the proposed site. The total length of PRoW crossing within the footprint of Wiltshire's 60+ existing and planned solar farms is some 5km. The two footpaths and one bridleway that would cross the Potterne Farm solar site would alone add a further 2km. The affected bridleway and footpaths would each, by some considerable margin, be the longest of their type in Wiltshire, making this the single most impacted site in the 13-year history of ground solar dealt with by Wiltshire Planning.
Overplanting
Public Rights of Way
Technical specifications for PPF Solar are completely lacking in the application documents (despite specific questions from the planning officer in April 2024). However, it is possible to estimate the installed capacity of PPF as over 70MW from the area of the solar arrays (from the proposed Site Block Diagram) and typical solar panel yields. Indeed Stark Energy website quoted 70MW for many months (see above) before changing it to 50MW. This seems to substantiate the designed overplanting of 20MW.
Energy Policy Statement (NPS) EN-3 guidance categorically states that , “overplanting is countenanced where reasonable, to address panel degradation. Unreasonable overplanting, or overplanting for any other reason, would not be supported.”
Misaligned to Current Policy
Solar farms without storage facilities or collocated demand are no longer encouraged by governmental energy policy as a result of a large backlog of ‘simple’ solar projects and significant transmission constraints. PPF solar relies on a legacy, low-cost connection offer, the type of which proliferated in previous years under an inadequate regulation regime. In March 2023 the connection process was fundamentally reformed by national Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) and the Electricity System Operator (ESO). However, the local Distribution Network Operator is still obliged to honour the legacy agreements. As a result the proposed development will deliver good returns for the private investors while not benefiting the local community.
Carbon footprint
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s official conversion factor is 0.20707 kg CO2 saved for each kWh produced from a carbon-free source. This would equate to 12,400 tonnes per annum (42% less than claimed in the planning application). Estimates of the overall carbon footprint for the proposed development are lacking in the Applicant’s documentation. The Applicant admits it will take at least 2.5 years to 'pay back' the carbon debt associated with the manufacture of the solar panels, but there is no mention of the expected carbon footprint of the 132kV substation (which by analogy to similar infrastructure would have a CO2e footprint of at least 9000 tonnes), or the carbon footprint of the extensive construction phase activity.
Electricity Grid Constraints
The SSEN website confirms that that both the Melksham Grid Supply Point (GSP) and Norrington Bulk Supply Point (BSP) are constrained. As there is to be no reinforcement of the network in the project scope, by consuming a large part of the remaining generation capacity in the area, the proposal is likely to impact alternative generation options for county residents such as roof top panels thereby restricting customer choice.
Understated Lorry Movements
The Applicant advises that 245 deliveries in total will be needed for construction of the site. The justification for this total comes from a “similar Solar Farm development in Uttoxeter Aston House Farm, Derbyshire Dales”. This solar farm is half the size. How can it be similar? The data is inaccurate, not relevant to Potterne Park Farm and has clearly been cut and pasted from other applications - section 7.4.1 of the CTMP even quotes Kenley House Farm for example. None of this information can be trusted.
A more believable number in our view is the 902 deliveries worked out in a paper submitted by Luke Wilson, logistics engineer with the Army – see our documents section for detail.
This is not a trivial matter. Access and safety are one of the community’s biggest worries and to mislead decision makers in this way is at best shameful.
Impact on Wildlife
This largely untouched valley is special. The railway ironically has cut off the valley from development, thereby creating a haven for wildlife.
Of the 18 species of bat in UK, 12 are here in this valley breeding and roosting. 4 of which are endangered - Bechstein’s Bat and Barbastelles, plus Greater Horseshoe and Lesser Horseshoe Bat, which are extremely rare, and are prevalent right across the ancient woodland and these pastures. It is of course a criminal offence to remove the habitats of these bats.
The criticality of the area also applies to bird species and other animals, and the proposal is counter to Wiltshire protection policies. Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 imposes a duty on public authorities to conserve biodiversity in England and Wales. Section 41 of the Act refers to a list of species which are of principal importance to the conservation of biodiversity in England. The following species are present in PPF and on that list:
· Great Crested Newt
· Brown Hare
· Hedgehogs
· Dormice
· Harvest mice
· Spotted Flycatcher
· Corn Bunting
· Mistlethrush
· Linnet, Dunnock, Skylark Kestrel and other raptors
Potterne Park Farm has been registered under the Higher-Level Countryside Stewardship Scheme
In describing this special landscape, we can hardly improve on the words of the current landowners of the Site, when they were the ones who were affected by potential development next to their farm just six years ago. This is how they described the very land they now want to see covered by solar panels (17/10190/FUL):
“This is a very peaceful, unspoilt end of the Pewsey Vale and such [proposed development] is totally inappropriate. On our farm we have spent decades improving the habitat for wild animals, with considerable success. We have breeding pairs of lapwings, sky larks thrive here, and the hedgehog is making a comeback. The place throngs with hare, roe deer, even dormice have been seen. A PHD student from Bristol followed a rare bat to our farm from its swarming ground near Bath to find its roost in a tree [nearby]. Their feedings are mostly local to the roosts, in the hedgerows and pastures adjacent. The site itself is close to Oakfrith Wood, a local Nature Reserve and area of ancient woodland. We should preserve and care for these remaining gems, not dig them up and pollute them with fumes and noise”.
“This valley is an historic landscape of trees, hedges and pasture that was once the hunting park of the medieval bishops of Salisbury. On our farm … is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, a moated area dating back to the days of the Bishop’s hunting park in the early 13th century. I hope you can appreciate from my observations that this valley has ecological and historic importance that make it attractive for local people and tourists and it would be ruined by the imposition of a motocross track”.
“The proposed works and resultant activities would cause significant environmental damage in an area of habitat renowned for a rich diversity of plants, trees and animals. There are several protected species to be found here, including 2 very rare species of bat (and 9 other bat species), breeding barn owls, hobbies, dormice, hares, lapwing and kingfishers to name but a few. These animals are here because the valley is quiet and relatively undisturbed, with plenty of trees, hedges, waterways and grassland”.