While the planning application was withdrawn in July, Kingsway Solar has indicated that it intends to revise and resubmit its application as soon as possible. Although we’ve had a brief pause, the campaign is far from over.
We expect a new application sooner rather than later, making it more important than ever that everyone stays informed and ready for the next stage. If the revised application is accepted by the Planning Inspectorate, there will be a further opportunity for local people to submit their comments and concerns directly as part of the formal process.
Why was the first application withdrawn?
The Planning Inspectorate published a detailed letter explaining why the application wasn’t ready to proceed. Its concerns included:
- Missing wildlife and environmental surveys
- Outstanding issues relating to archaeology and heritage
- Missing information and inconsistencies within the application documents
- Concerns that local people had not been given enough information to properly understand the proposals and comment on them
- Doubts that the application contained enough information for the examination to be completed within the statutory timetable
As Kingsway prepares a revised application, we believe these issues must be fully addressed. If a developer cuts corners when preparing an application, it does not inspire confidence that a project of this scale will be planned, built and managed to the high standards needed to protect wildlife, the environment and our villages.
Solar farms and fire safety
The scale of a solar farm also brings practical challenges around fire safety. At the existing Wilbraham Solar Farm and adjacent Lark Hall Farm, fire precautions are currently having to be put in place where the farm borders the solar development. This includes digging firebreaks around the farm boundary.
This follows two fires on the site in the past year, highlighting the importance of having fire-prevention and emergency measures in place.
As Kingsway is proposing a development on a vastly larger scale, we believe fire safety and the protection of neighbouring land must be properly considered from the outset, with clear measures in place to prevent fires spreading beyond the site.
An open letter to Andy Burnham, Prime Minister
With a new Prime Minister comes a new opportunity. We have written an Open Letter calling on the Government to put communities at the heart of the energy transition.
We support renewable energy. But we believe it will only succeed if it is delivered with communities, not imposed upon them. Local knowledge, meaningful consultation and public trust should be the foundations of every major renewable energy project.
Our letter urges the Prime Minister to make the UK a world leader in community-led renewable energy, using Kingsway Solar as an example of why a different approach is needed.
If you believe we can deliver clean energy while protecting communities and the countryside, please read and share our Open Letter. Download here
Did you know?
It can be difficult to visualise the scale of a 500MW solar farm from the numbers alone. That’s why our ‘Did You Know?’ campaign is sharing comparisons that help bring the proposal to life.
Kingsway Solar Farm would be around 20 times larger than the existing Wilbraham Solar Farm.
The proposed solar panels would stand up to 4.2 metres high — about the height of a Cambridge Park & Ride bus.
Supporting other campaigns
KSCA stands alongside the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) in making the case that our countryside must not pay the price for clean energy.
CPRE is calling for a strategic plan for energy infrastructure to ensure renewable energy is delivered in the right places while protecting the countryside we all value. As CPRE says, “The decisions being made today will shape our landscapes for generations to come.”
To support the campaign, visit: https://cpre.powerappsportals.com/AD1/
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Use our form to sign up for emails or email us at hello@kingswayaction.org.