Public meeting called after news of third large scale solar farm project

Overlooking farmland earmarked for the Leoda solar farm near Leadenham and Welbourn.Overlooking farmland earmarked for the Leoda solar farm near Leadenham and Welbourn.
Overlooking farmland earmarked for the Leoda solar farm near Leadenham and Welbourn.
Residents are being urged to attend a public meeting in Navenby tonight (Thursday, January 16) called in reaction to proposals to site another large solar farm in farmland in North Kesteven.

The Leoda Solar Farm would cover 2,400 acres, the equivalent of around 1,360 football pitches, between Leadenham, Brant Broughton and Welbourn, according to new plans confirmed last week.

This is the third major solar application attracted by the planned Navenby Substation which would hook them up to the national grid.

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County and district councillor for the area, Marianne Overton warned that yet more schemes may be on the way, while roofs of commercial properties could be used for panels.

"This has got to change,” she said, adding that 200 people came along to the last meeting called by the Cliff Villages Solar Action Group.

She said people had to speak up to save their village environment.

The meeting will be at The Venue, Navenby, from 5-7pm.

Coun Overton said: “Glass, steel and concrete, could sprawl over miles, setting our villages in an industrial landscape. Good farmland locked out for 60 years, handed instead to global companies, under long-term contracts, paid by us in high electricity bills.”

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Developer Telis Energy UK will be holding a six-week public consultation starting on Thursday, January 23 for local community members and other interested parties.

The project’s website says its plans are at an early stage and are subject to change.

Alex Herbert, the project’s head of planning, said: “As the UK continues its transition towards renewable energy, projects like Leoda Solar Farm are vital.

“This project not only supports national goals for net zero emissions but also provides a significant opportunity to invest in our environment, health, and local communities.

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“We are committed to working closely with stakeholders and residents over the coming months to develop a project that benefits both the region and the country as a whole.”

North Kesteven District Council leader Richard Wright (Con) recently said he was ‘seriously concerned’ how many large applications are being suggested for the area.

He said the council was listening to residents, but had its hands tied by the planning process.

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