Plans for a large solar farm in East Anglia – the fifth to be proposed in Norfolk in recent weeks – have been described as “deeply worrying” by the county council’s leader.
The East Anglia Solar Farm project by Noventum Power could be built near Long Stratton, an area of East Anglia that had already been eyed for the largest solar farm in the UK.
“I see this sudden gold rush to sign up acres of land as a precursor to the expected planning permission for the new pylons, it is a perverse and back-to-front policy,” said Kay Mason Billig, a Conservative.
Asked about solar farms during an interview on BBC Radio Norfolk on Friday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move to renewable energy meant “difficult decisions” had to be made, and communities near major planning schemes should directly benefit, such as from cheaper energy bills.
Solar farms are among the renewable energy schemes East Anglia as the government strives for net zero by the end of the decade.
Due to their size, a decision on all major projects, such as the Kingsway Solar Farm proposal in nearby south Cambridgeshire, rests with energy secretary Ed Miliband and not local councils.
Ms Mason Billig repeated her claim that Labour was “running roughshod” over local opinion – something which Mr Starmer denied, adding “it was very important for communities to have their say”.
Text taken from this [original BBC news article]
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