Lincolnshire dumping ground for green energy schemes councillor claims

There are currently proposals for 11 large solar farms across Lincolnshire

A councillor has claimed Lincolnshire is being used as a dumping ground for green energy projects that benefit other parts of the country.

Conservative county councillor Colin Davie said the interests of local people should be put first.

Mr Davie referred to a National Grid plan to build 164ft (50m) high pylons from Cleethorpes to Spalding.

A National Grid spokesperson said local feedback was vital and a consultation would be held "later this year".

"The scale of the [National Grid] proposal is so enormous; nothing like this has been seen in Lincolnshire before," Mr Davie said.

"There is a drive in government to put a lot of this stuff into Lincolnshire - I would say dump it into Lincolnshire - because most of the power generated is not going to be used here in the Midlands region."

He added 11 large solar farms were under consideration as well as other energy generation facilities

A number of the schemes are considered to be Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, meaning a decision whether to allow construction is made by central government rather than local councils.

Mr Davie said there were plans to bring an "Energy Position Statement" before the council in the near future, aiming to outline the council's position on infrastructure developments and ensure the interests of Lincolnshire residents are given due consideration.

"I'm not going to allow Lincolnshire to be overwhelmed, or dumped on in any way shape or form by any party, whether it's private or public, and we need to make sure that as a body, we are all united in taking a clearer view," he added.

Councillor Colin Davie said the interests of local people should be put first

He said he believed the proposals would have a profound impact on the beauty of the local landscape, tourism, and property values.

Mr Davie also raised concerns about the loss of high-quality farmland, which plays a crucial role in maintaining Lincolnshire's status as the UK's food basket.

"I want to see Lincolnshire deliver high-quality food for the nation. We need to protect our land to do that," said Mr Davie.

A National Grid spokesperson said in order to deliver the government's ambition to connect 50GW of offshore wind by 2030, a new network of infrastructure was needed across the UK, including in Lincolnshire.

They added: "Whenever we develop initial proposals, we share them with local communities and stakeholders first. Their feedback is vital to shape our proposals further. We will consult on our initial findings when we have completed our review, later this year."