Rosie

Here is an interesting article from the Guardian:

Magazine column by heir calls for people to value ‘landscapes, farmers, villages and pubs’ or risk losing them


Press Association
Wednesday 12 November 2014

theguardian.com

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/12/prince-charles-says-peoples-connection-with-countryside-is-dying
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Saw this objection by Sue Cowley (Whittington Parish Clerk) in the 'Public Comments' section of the Application :
 
Comment submitted date: Tue 11 Nov 2014
Members of Whittington Parish Council feel that this application should be deferred as there is not enough information to make a reasonable judgment on the impact to the quality and character of the countryside. There should have been public consultation meetings held in the parishes that are affected by this application. The meeting for Selattyn and Gobowen, the parish mainly affected by this application, is due on    November, this should have been held before in this parish not St Martins. As Whittington is also affected this application should be deferred until a public meeting in the parish is arranged.
 
Unfortunately, Sue has quoted the wrong date for the meeting which is why it is not shown above (to avoid any more confusion!)
 
The Meeting is, of course, on the Thursday 20th November in the Pavilion at 7.00 pm
 
Lets hope that the very least our Parish Councillors will do, is the same as Whittington.

I am all for using solar power as this is the way forward for our planet.   http://inhabitat.com/report-solar-could-be-dominant-power-source-by-2050/
However, I do not believe such an unplanned and poorly thought out system as here, being forced by grant schemes,and using good agricultural land far from urban and industrial centres has much 'sustainability' (read 'common sense') because of the infrastructure, power lines and substations that would be necessary for distribution.  Now, if the government were to insist on solar tiles or panels on all new build, and grant support solar 'farms' on city rooftops as part of new developments I would be cheering them on.  Germany can do it.  http://inhabitat.com/german-village-produces-321-more-energy-than-it-needs/  
It makes no sense to use good fields for this when there are so many alternatives, especially as we are going to run out of agricultural land to development rather sooner than we want and should be putting a priority on the protection of green field sites.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28003435  What we need from central government is joined up thinking. Planning,Housing,  Defra, Energy etc. all need to get their collective act together, instead of gains for one department being paid for by another.

Although the solar farm is planned for 25 years I am deeply concerned about the future of the proposed agricultural land after this period; we fear that this will be the first of many applications ( easy money incentive ). Of note planning applications have grown from 33 in 2010 to 278 in 2013 a proven increase. The construction of a industrial solar farm would reduce the draw of this beautiful area, not only will we endure 25 years of an unsightly solar farm, in my opinion wasting good agricultural land but the future of the solar farm land after the proposed 25 years would be uncertain; of note a recent solar farm erected in the Telford area has just been granted permission to use the solar farm land for the building of housing once the solar farm term is up, could this happen at the proposed Ebnal solar farm land in the long term.

I agree that we need solar farms and that there is a bright future for them in the UK but not just in any place at any price, more forethought and care should be taken to site such farms and not just granted to random opportunism, we should stick to industrial, brownfield sites or roof tops, which are out of direct view to residents and tourists; and have limited impact on wildlife. we should look for alternatives, the disadvantages significantly outweigh the benefits of this scheme.

Please do not set a depressing and irreversible precedent.

Hi Bethan,
 
I've just had another look as well and I am disappointed in the lack of interest from English Heritage.   Some of our historic landmarks (Lord Hill's Column in Shrewsbury for example) could do with a lot more support from them.   Also how the council could possibly have managed to agree to the absolute desecration of Butcher Row in Shrewsbury, where the Council has allowed a concrete bunker of a toilet block right in front of Prince Rupert Hotel, is beyond my comprehension.   Let us hope the Council will not allow our beautiful Shropshire countryside to be desecrated as above.  Solar panels are a great idea in the RIGHT places but not on useful prime agricultural land;  brown field and disused industrial sites are the obvious.
 
I digress so I will shut up FOR NOW!