MPs to hold Parliament debate on large-scale solar farms in Lincolnshire

The Backbench Business Committee will discuss the issue next month on Thursday April 18 in Westminster Hall.

The committee meets every Tuesday to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject.

Dr Johnson commented: “I am pleased to have successfully applied for a Parliamentary debate on the impact of large solar farms, which will be debated on Thursday April 18 and is supported by many fellow backbench MPs.

“This will be the next step in my work highlighting local residents’ concerns about the current large solar farm applications on a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’ scale in my constituency, and the current planning policies determining these sites.”

She went on: “This is an issue which is deeply affecting many of the rural villages in my constituency, and on which many residents have fed back their views to me directly. I have received over 2,000 responses so far to my survey on large-scale solar farms which went out to local villages affected by the Springwell, Fosse Green, Beacon Fen and Heckington Fen proposals.”

There are further large scale solar farm plans proposed in the north of the county close to the Nottinghamshire border and another large solar farm has been approved to the west of Bicker, south of Boston.

“In my subsequent meetings with the Prime Minister, relevant Ministers and senior officials in 10 Downing Street, I have highlighted how an overwhelming majority of constituents have indicated a clear preference for solar on rooftops and brownfield sites or land of poor agricultural value instead of large-scale solar installations on Lincolnshire’s prime farmland.”

Looking forward to the debate she intended to discuss in more detail how MPs can work to deliver the Prime Minister’s pledge to “not allow great swathes of British countryside to be taken up by solar panels.”