Council concern over 'rushed' solar farm decisions

Some solar farms have been approved by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband

Nottinghamshire councillors have formally expressed concern at some government decisions to approve large-scale solar farms.

A motion, discussed at a county council meeting on Thursday, said the approval of some projects might have been "rushed through" without considering the views of local residents.

It comes after a major solar farm on the border of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire was given the go-ahead by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

The government said it was important for local views to be taken into account.

Ed Miliband has been energy secretary since July

The motion, tabled by Conservative councillor Tracey Taylor, says the authority recognises the value of renewable energy, but also expressed concerns that Miliband’s decisions may not have taken account of "previous expert advice".

It added the Conservative-run council would make "appropriate representations setting out the environmental and infrastructure impacts" of any proposals for solar farms in Nottinghamshire.

Taylor told the meeting there had been an "explosion" of applications for nationally significant infrastructure, and a "cynical and dangerous" change in approach from developers.

Labour councillor Penny Gowland said she thought the energy secretary made a "very well-informed decision" based on briefings from experts, and that there was "no suggestion he did it at the stroke of a pen".

Independent councillor Steve Carr questioned if Conservative councillors were "climate change deniers".

"In a hundred years time when people are being threatened by rising sea levels, they won't be saying isn't it a good job back in 2024 that they didn't put solar farms in inappropriate places," he said.

The motion passed by 44 votes to two, with 15 abstentions.

Nottinghamshire County Councillors debated the motion at a meeting on Thursday

A huge solar farm on the border of Rutland and Leicestershire was also approved by the government in July, and a major project near Newark is due to enter a second round of consultation later this year.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "Solar power is at the heart of our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and the energy secretary has consented more solar capacity since July than has been installed in the past year.

"It is also important local views are taken into account, and where communities live near clean energy infrastructure, they should benefit directly from it.

"We are considering a range of options and incentives to better match where energy is generated and used."