MP to lead Parliamentary debate on opposition to large-scale solar farm plans in Lincolnshire

Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, has secured a Parliamentary Backbench Business Debate to be held on Thursday May 15 in the House of Commons focussing on large-scale solar farms.

Dr Johnson will be putting forward the concerns both her and some residents are raising about large-scale solar farms and their impact on agricultural land and the local area.

The debate will be an opportunity for her and other MPs to bring further attention to this issue and will receive a response from the Minister at the dispatch box.

This debate is particularly about solar farms on a large scale, where projects potentially generating over 50MW are deemed Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects which are decided at a national level by the Secretary of State, Ed Miliband, rather than by local government.

These projects are raising important questions regarding land use, food security, the impact on rural landscapes, and the ethical implications of solar panel production.

Many communities are also concerned about the cumulative effect of these projects, particularly when multiple applications are clustered in the same area, such as in Lincolnshire.

A new solar farm study has shown that Sleaford and North Hykeham is the second most impacted constituency in the country, with around seven per cent of the land in the constituency due to be covered in solar panels under existing applications alone.

The neighbouring Newark constituency has been found to be the most impacted in the country, with 8.84 per cent of land due to be covered in panels by existing applications.

Dr Johnson said: “My constituency, like much of our local area, is being inundated with massive solar farm applications on a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’ level. This Backbench Business Debate builds on my previous debates on the topic to bring attention to the concerns both I and my constituents share regarding the loss of our agricultural land and the impact on rural communities.

“A sensible government plan wouldn’t allow solar to be concentrated on our best food producing land.”

She said thousands of acres for massive solar farms are being approved, including the nearby Heckington Fen Solar Farm in North Kesteven.

“I have heard from many constituents about their concerns through my surveys, meetings and previous Parliamentary debates on this topic and I will be representing my constituents’ views on the matter. Constituents are therefore welcome to contact me further ahead of the debate as we work together to protect our countryside,” she said.

The debate will take place at lunchtime / early afternoon on Thursday May 15 depending on Parliamentary business that day. The debate can be viewed live or on demand on Parliament TV and a transcript can be found after the debate has taken place on Hansard online: https://members.parliament.uk/member/4592/contributions

Dr Johnson is speaking at the Open Hearing for the Springwell Solar Farm application, outlined for the Ashby de la Launde and Scopwick area.