Decommissioned solar farms could be used to build new homes, officials say
Decommissioned solar farms could be used to build new homes, officials say v.1
Prime land that is turned into solar farms could more easily end up as housing, officials have warned.
Members of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County’s (GLCCA) overview and scrutiny committee raised concerns about the number of solar farms proposed for the area – and are fearful that these could end up being snapped up by property developers once these sites are decommissioned.
They were concerned that areas that are currently greenfield land – such as undeveloped farmland – could become categorised as brownfield land once they are developed into solar farms. They fear this could then be earmarked for housing once the solar development is decommissioned.
At a meeting on Wednesday, June 10, chair Andy Quarmby, an independent member, said: “We are now planning for a significant amount of greenfield sites, ie farmland, being solar panels.
“When they’ve finished their 25-year period, will those then be brownfield sites?
“Because looking at some of the plans, the entrances that they’re putting in there look as though they’re entrances to estates.
“Just something to ponder because that frees up or takes away an obscene amount of greenfield sites.”
Coun Philip Roberts (Reform UK – Horncastle and the Keals), who sits on Lincolnshire County Council, also raised fears that developers could easily turn these sites into housing developments once the solar farms reach the end of their lives.
At the meeting, members discussed the authority’s separate plans to develop more brownfield sites across Greater Lincolnshire in a bid to build more homes.
A brownfield site is defined as previously-developed land that is currently vacant, derelict, or underused, and often requires environmental clean-up or redevelopment before it can be reused.
The GLCCA has been awarded £34 million in Government funding to kickstart plans for brownfield land to be developed into new homes across the county.
The authority has allocated £16.5 million to be spent on the plans by the end of this financial year, with it being split into smaller spend allocations over the later three years.
The GLCCA said it wants to work with local organisations to develop identify suitable brownfield sites which could be developed into housing.
The programme aims to deliver 1,142 homes by March 2031.