The letter below was sent by KSCA to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, regarding the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNEZ) latest Public Attitudes Tracker (Summer 2025).
Summer 2025 Tracker Findings
When asked about local solar farms, 43% of respondents said they would be happy (very or fairly happy) for one to be built nearby, and a further 32% said they “wouldn’t mind either way.” These figures have been cited — for example in Solar Power Portal — as evidence of broad public acceptance of solar development. KSCA, however, disputes this interpretation.
Based on the findings of its recent community survey, KSCA argues that such national statistics overlook key local realities, including:
Scale and context matter
The Tracker doesn’t distinguish between rooftop or community solar and industrial-scale projects like Kingsway Solar. Most people support renewables in principle—they do not necessarily support covering 1,246 hectares of farmland with panels. Until recently, UK solar experience was limited to small, low-impact schemes. The first large-scale solar farm, Cleve Hill in Kent, has only just come online. Public opinion shaped by small projects cannot be applied to developments of this scale.
Promises versus reality
DESNZ found that people would be most supportive when renewable projects deliver local benefits such as bill discounts (62%), funding for community projects (59%) or local jobs (58%). Yet large-scale solar farms are unlikely to deliver these outcomes. From our recent analysis of the Stage 2 Statutory Consultation PEIR documents, local job opportunities are minimal, biodiversity gains uncertain and community benefits at the discretion of Kingsway Solar.
Engagement and trust
In our community survey, 76% of residents were dissatisfied with Kingsway Solar’s consultation, citing poor communication and a lack of local understanding. MP Pippa Heylings called it “an extremely poor-quality level of engagement” and noted that she “expected the Kingsway representatives … to both prepare better to answer constituents’ questions and listen much harder to what constituents are actually asking and commenting on.” This gap between national survey assumptions and local reality damages public trust.
What needs to change
KSCA has urged DESNZ to improve its Tracker to reflect not just “support,” but also trust, fairness, wellbeing and engagement quality. We have also asked DESNZ to clarify how the Tracker distinguishes between different project types, reflects rural experiences, and ensures that “high national support” is not misinterpreted as blanket consent for large-scale energy schemes.