where we share our concerns about the proposed Industrial Solar development
where we share our concerns about the proposed Industrial Solar development
The proposed Lime Down Solar Park stretches over nearly 3 square miles of productive farmland and natural open fields. Over 2,000 acres in beautiful and biodiverse countryside in North Wiltshire: that’s the equivalent of 1,250 football pitches. The solar park would be one of the largest in the country, in a county that has already exceeded the council’s carbon neutral target for 2030. Wiltshire already has 8 out of the 10 largest solar parks in England.
This is NOT an anti-solar campaign, we believe that large industrial solar farms should be located on former industrial sites or next to motorways, not on productive farmland.
SOLAR ON ROOFTOPS, NOT FIELDS.
The Lime Down Solar Power Station is a proposed utility-scale solar power and battery energy storage project in North Wiltshire, UK. The developer is Island Green Power (IGP) with significant investment from Macquarie Asset Management. Lime Down involves the installation of over 1 million photovoltaic panels measuring 9ft in height (2.75m), substations, battery storage systems, and fencing 10ft high (3m).
Spanning over 2,000 acres (1,250 football fields), the total land footprint is larger than London Gatwick Airport and stretches across North Wiltshire, wrapping along the ancient Roman Fosse Way and between historic Cotswold villages including Alderton, Luckington, Sherston, Norton, Hullavington, Foxley, Corston, Rodbourne, and Upper Seagry. New underground cabling is to be laid over 20 miles to reach the grid at Melksham.
The developer claims 500MW of capacity, representing peak output. However, on average, solar delivers maximum power for 2.6 hours a day in the UK and it produces more power during summer than winter. If measured over the year, the average annual output of solar is about 10% of peak capacity. The average annual output at Lime Down will be just 50MW.
Solar power is an important part of the UK’s future energy mix. It is best used on buildings and brown field with minimal range of transmission. All suitable roof space and car parks in the UK could generate 117 GW of electricity, exceeding the government’s total solar target of 70 GW by of 2050. There is no need to use productive agricultural land for solar power.
Prohibit "mega solar facilities" over 50MW on UK farmland; establish solar development preference hierarchies and regional density caps to help protect our natural landscapes, ensure food security and conserve biodiversity.
Thank you for joining our conversations and efforts to stop the development of Lime Down Solar Park. We all agree that despite the obvious benefits of using green energy, a development of this size is bound to have far-reaching negative ramifications for the countryside we love and the farming communities which support rural life.
We have a superb team as well as a legal firm who are dedicated and determined to fight these proposals.
There's no question about it, everyone's help is going to be invaluable for this fight.
Action for now:
- Sign the national petition and send the link to all those in your contact list who value the countryside. We need to get to 100,000 signatures before 23 May 2024 for it to be considered for debate in parliament: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/651262
-Write to IGP (Island Green Power) who are the company behind Lime Down Solar Park to express your objection to the proposals and the fact that their consultations have been entirely inadequate with very little information. The form that they gave out at their consultations was so biased in their favour that it is not recommended to fill this out but instead to email or write in your own words. Please do not elaborate further than just stating your basic concerns. We can give more detailed objections in the autumn.
These must be received before the deadline of 26th April.
Email: info@limedownsolar.co.uk
Freepost: FREEPOST Lime Down Solar* *Free of charge, no need for a stamp.
- Express your objection to your MP and councillors
We will be raising funds soon to support the campaign costs, such as printing and legal costs and can provide you with details of governance around this. All those helping with the campaign are giving their time and expertise at their own expense to support the campaign. Fund raising details will follow in the next week or so.
In the meantime, if you haven't already let us know, please could you tell us how you think you may be able to contribute to the campaign, the time you are able to dedicate to helping and whether you are able to travel. This can be anything from leaflet dropping and putting to research and expert advice.
Please get in touch at info@stoplimedown.com