Ed Miliband slaps ‘Chernobyl’ solar farm in UK village with locals left outraged | UK | News
Ed Miliband has approved Britain’s largest solar power plant despite objections from locals who compared it to Chernobyl. The Energy Secretary has ruled against opposition from locals in Lincolnshire to accept the project on the grounds that it is “nationally significant”.
Springwell Solar Farm will be the largest energy producing solar farm in the UK; According to the developer, it could power more than 180,000 homes a year, the equivalent of half the homes in Lincolnshire. Residents complain about the impact the development will have on local farming, with the farm set to cover seven square miles of open space with solar panels, affecting 10 villages and thousands of residents.
Local Conservative councilor Rob Kendrick said: “There are no beneficiaries in terms of the people of Lincolnshire.
“The landscape will change. Lincolnshire’s tourism value is worth £2bn and this will be affected.”
The decision marks the 25th nationally significant clean energy project approved by the government since July 2024; This project means enough clean energy to meet the energy needs of more than 12.5 million homes.
In 2024 Labor scrapped planning rules preventing the construction of new solar farms on previously food-producing land.
Mr Miliband also identified major solar and wind farms as “nationally significant” schemes that planners must approve by default.
Local officials accused Mr Milliband of having “already made up his mind” and of being indifferent to the fears of those affected.
Marc Williams, of the Springwell Solar Farm Action Group, told Lincolnshire Live in May last year: “The community is so concerned about this… Everyone is against it except those who will make a profit.
“We wouldn’t object to plans for a few hundred acres, but this is huge. It will be an industrialized complex like Chernobyl.”
“People will go for a drive and see nothing but panels.”
Energy Secretary Michael Shanks said: “We are moving further and faster for clean domestic energy that we control to protect British people and reduce bills altogether.
“It is crucial that we learn from the conflict in the Middle East; solar energy is one of the cheapest forms of energy available and is the way we can survive the ups and downs of international fossil fuel markets and secure our own energy independence.”
Responding to the decision, Mr Williams said: “I am outraged.
“This shows a complete lack of democratic accountability in this country.”
He added that Energy Secretary Ed Miliband “has disregarded people’s local views and is just blatantly attacking the community and will destroy nearly 4,000 acres in this area alone.”
EDF’s Matthew Boulton welcomed the government’s approval, calling it “an important step forward for the Springwell Solar Farm”.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the public review process and consultations,” he said.
“As the project progresses, we are committed to working collaboratively with local communities and partners to deliver long-term benefits to the region while mitigating the impacts of construction.”
The facility is expected to start producing electricity from 2029.
