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Talk about the Lime Down Proposals

Sir Mike Pitt and Prof. Richard Skeffington give an outline of the proposals and explain what we can do about it.

Roz Savage MP shares her thoughts after the SLD meeting

Roz Savage MP came to one of the Stop Lime Down meetings and this is her message afterwards encouraging everyone to 'say how you feel about the proposals and the impact it will have on your life'.

Roz is a champion for community energy and against massive solar proposals. She advocates for small scale solar, solar on roof tops and community led projects.

Local resident shares his concerns

Points West 4 April 2024

Plant Inverters

For anyone assuming solar plant inverters are nice and quiet:

Construction Phase

These are the pile drivers that are used during construction.

ITV West News 18 April 2024

News item following the UK Solar Alliance Rally in Parliament Square during the Debate in Parliament on Utility Scale Solar Farms. .

Malmesbury Town Hall Meeting with James Gray MP

Over 600 attended a packed Town Hall on 4 April 2024. The public meeting was organised by James Gray MP to discuss the Lime Down Solar plans.

Richard Vobes interview 6 June 2024

Taking important farm land out of production for a gigantic solar farm is extremely concerning. Lime Down Solar Farm in Wiltshire is no ordinary affair. Potentially it is a template for a nationwide project to threaten people's health, destroy natural surroundings and affect house prices.

Update on Lime Down Solar Park plans in Wiltshire

Gazette and Herald 25 August 2024

“We were disappointed by how many critical environmental considerations the developer was proposing to exclude from the EIA to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

“These include the potential for flooding and groundwater contamination in areas immediately outside the Lime Down site, and the significant cumulative effect of six Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) dressed up as a single scheme.

“We are also concerned that the developer’s report calls for the scoping out of the impact on landscape views of more than 5km from the site, and the effect on trees within the project area.”

Click on photo for link to full Gazette and Herald article

The solar park would stretch across two thousand acres of farmland. (Image Getty)

Massive boost for Stop Lime Down campaign as Wiltshire Council makes its position clear

Campaigners demanding a rethink on solar farms were delighted that Wiltshire Council overwhelmingly supported a motion calling for the more even distribution of large-scale solar farms across Britain.

The motion, brought yesterday by Conservative Councillors Phil Alford and Nick Botterill, argued that the concentration of solar farms in Wiltshire represented a “significant cumulative impact” that risked industrialising the county’s countryside.

Councillors attending the full council meeting in County Hall, Trowbridge, heard statements from members of the public. These included Sir Michael Pitt, who spoke on behalf of the group opposing the proposed 2000 acre, 500MW Lime Down Solar plant in North Wiltshire.

“We believe the Lime Down Solar Farm development is the most damaging assault on the county’s landscape in more than a lifetime,” said Sir Michael, who served as Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate between 2011 and 2014. “To call it a farm is an aberration. It is a vast industrial complex with battery storage, transformers and ugly solar cells some 4.5 metres high.”

“Stop Lime Down supports solar energy,” Sir Michael added. “But solar energy development should minimise environmental impact and be located in the right places, including rooftops and brownfield sites. Where additional solar farms are needed they should be limited in size and very carefully located.”

Councillors overwhelmingly supported this motion. 75 voted in favour of the motion, with six abstaining and only two opposing.

Supporters of the movement opposing Lime Down Solar Park and Battery Storage proposal gathered outside County Hall and attended the full meeting inside the council chamber. “We warmly welcome the councillors’ rejection of large-scale solar projects,” said a spokesperson. “But while we are pleased to have won a significant battle today, we fully recognise that there is a long way to go in this war.”

Stop Lime Down

Stop Lime Down's response to the recent statement on NSIPs by Secretary of State

The North Wiltshire community welcomes today’s statement on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) by Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The acknowledgment that NSIPs need to strike the right balance between energy security and food production is welcome. So too is the government’s recognition of the critical role rooftop solar must play if Britain is to meet its net zero targets.

We strongly agree with the Energy Secretary that agricultural land should be protected and food production prioritised when solar proposals are being considered. Wiltshire already has 54 solar farms covering 3000 acres either under construction or in operation, making it one of the largest areas of solar development in Europe. This is why today’s statement by the Secretary of State urging local authorities to consider not just the impact of individual proposals on local community but the cumulative impact of proposals in the same area is a welcome contribution to our campaign.

We remain committed to demonstrating how damaging the industrial sized Lime Down Solar Park proposal is to North Wiltshire.

We also urge the government to deliver on its pledge to explore alternative sources of solar power. One way to do this would be to harness the opportunities presented by Britain’s 600,000 acres of unexploited commercial rooftop space rather than jeopardise food security, biodiversity, and cultural heritage through the development of large-scale solar on agricultural land.

political Support

SoS Statement on solar farms 1505.24 (pdf)

DID YOU KNOW ?

STOP LIME DOWN CAMPAIGN (scroll right to view)