Wiltshire Council is asking the Government for clarity on the solar farm

The concerns of a large concentration of them in the county are over

Wiltshire Council is calling on the Government to give local authorities more clarity on the delivery of solar farms.

A motion, passed by the Full Council this week (Tuesday 21 May), has raised concerns about a large concentration of solar farms in Wiltshire.

The Council also calls on the Government to define what is meant by the ‘cumulative impact’ of solar farms and to ensure that solar farms and battery storage compounds are not concentrated in specific areas, effectively industrializing the countryside.

The motion was adopted with 75 councilors in favor, two against and six abstentions.

Cllr Richard Clewer, leader of Wiltshire Council, said:

“The motion which was passed at the Full Council meeting asks the Secretary of State for the Department for Housing, Housing and Communities to further define what is meant by ‘cumulative impact’ in relation to solar farms. It also calls on the government to take clear steps to ensure that solar developments are more evenly spread across the UK and not concentrated in certain areas.

“The need to protect farming and the rural way of life is extremely important and Wiltshire Council is determined to do all we can through planning policy and all other means at our disposal to support our farmers and rural communities.

“We support the need for solar energy, on the roofs of our houses and industrial buildings and on land of little agricultural value, but we do not want to see villages completely surrounded by solar farms, industrializing the countryside.

“As the pressures of climate change hit the world, food production will be put under pressure and it is vital that England and Wiltshire look to protect and increase food production and not reduce it to build solar farms.”

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