Lincolnshire is 'under attack like never before,' warns leaders

Officials at Lincolnshire County Council have described the surge of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), such as solar farms and National Grid’s proposed pylon plan, as an “attack on Lincolnshire for future generations.”

They warned that if the right decisions are not made, the county may not be recognisable in 20 to 30 years.

Between November 25, 2024, and January 20, 2025, a County Views survey focused on NSIPs was open to the public to gauge awareness and attitudes toward such proposals, noting that many projects are at various stages of the planning process. The feedback collected will inform the council’s actions and decisions.

During the survey period, a total of 3,021 responses were received—the highest number for a County Views survey. Of these, 71 per cent said they were very concerned about the impact proposed NSIPs would have on the county, with another 12 per cent expressing concern.

East Lindsey, the district where a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for buried nuclear waste could soon be built, had the highest number of respondents selecting “very concerned.”

This was closely followed by North Kesteven, where the 500MW Heckington Fen Solar Park was recently approved by government. The development is expected to cover about 525 hectares and power more than 100,000 homes.

Reflecting on the report during a meeting of LCC’s executive on Tuesday (January 4), leader Martin Hill (Conservative) was assured that “we are following the wishes of the majority of the public,” by challenging these types of developments.

He also had doubts about the Heckington Fen Solar Park recently being approved, given that Dale Vince, the boss of Ecotricity — the company behind the plans — donated £5 million to Labour in the run-up to last year’s General Election.

However, the government has insisted that political donations have no influence over how planning applications are considered. A spokesperson stated: “There is a rigorous process in place to ensure that all planning decisions follow strict propriety rules and weigh up only material planning considerations in the decision.”

Edward Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has also stated that he removed himself from anything to do with the decision on the solar farm at Heckington Fen

“We all understand infrastructure has to happen, but it needs to be done in an open and transparent way and at a reasonable pace,” added Coun Hill.

While addressing central government, he continued: “Your whole strategy for energy provision is a mess. You cannot rely on intermittent sources of power like wind and solar. What do you do when the wind isn’t blowing and it’s dark outside?

“There is a fanatical view of the current government that they are going to push these developments through pig-headedly almost, no matter the damage they are going to do to the countryside or our economy.

“If there was some logic and sense behind it, you can almost understand it. But, I just don’t understand what they think they’re doing.”

Councillor Colin Davie (Conservative), portfolio holder for economic development, environment and planning, claimed: “The country hasn’t had a proper energy policy for nearly two decades.”

“You cannot physically deliver the energy policy this government wants without bankrupting the country. It will be the one thing that removes this government from office and probably destroys the Labour Party forever.”

Responding to the councillor’s statements, the government spokesperson added: “Solar power is crucial to delivering our clean energy mission and we make no apology for supporting the development of clean energy infrastructure to provide cheap energy and protect households’ bills.”

Dale Vince, of Ecotricity describes himself as a green energy industrialist. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Less than one per cent of land in Lincolnshire is being used for solar farms and even in cases in which it is, landowners are leasing their land to make profit for solar farms – which by the way is also in the national interest in terms of energy security (and the climate).”

He also said the majority of land was being leased from farms rather than bought, meaning it could return to its original use after the solar farm had concluded.

In an interview with the BBC, he also disputed that large donations to the Labour party had helped his plans win approval.

Mr Vince said the donation to the Labour Party last year had nothing to do with the decision by Secretary of State for Energy, Ed Miliband.

“That’s a pretty cynical outlook on life,” he said.