Stop Scotton Solar Farm
This website has been set up to share our concerns about the proposed solar farm at Scotton, North Yorkshire, with residents of Scotton and neighbouring villages. Key concerns about the development include significant visual impact, transport issues, impacts on local heritage assets and loss of productive agricultural land. 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.
Background
In early 2021, a proposal was submitted to Harrogate Borough Council (Planning ref 20/04124) for a very large Solar Farm, one of the largest in the country, to generate 49.9MW located at the edge of Scotton.
At that time, a group of residents from Scotton who are opposed to the proposal felt it was appropriate to inform residents of the local villages and a leaflet was delivered to all properties. A significant number of residents shared our concerns and have already signed up to support us.
In May 2021, Gridserve submitted a 41 page Scoping Report to Harrogate Borough Council (Ref 21/02403), seeking approval to remove some key aspects for the Environmental Impact Assessment report which would be submitted with the formal planning application. The plans submitted also contained some changes to the site boundary and a slight reduction in size and output capacity.
As time was very limited, we wrote to HBC, on behalf of residents who had registered their concerns, to provide our constructive thoughts. We also wrote to Andrew Jones MP to seek his support.
In October 2021, Andrew Jones MP provided a copy of the letter he had received from Gridserve which details their plans and included some changes to the proposal albeit sadly these are modest, and it would remain one of the largest in the country at 45.5MW.
Proposed
Development
Scotton Solar Farm is a proposed Solar Generation Power Plant & Substation covering 88 hectares/217 acres which is equivalent to over 125 football pitches.
The proposed location of the site is on agricultural farmland at the edge of Scotton village.
Click on the map to zoom in for more details.
Hectares
Acres
Football pitches
The height of the solar panels will be 3 m, which is much higher than the average height of a person! There would also be other infrastructure such as transformers, inverters and a substation and the site would be surrounded by a 2.5 m security fence, changing the tranquil rural landscape into a semi-industrial, utility-grade power complex. For more information on the proposed development click the page Useful info.
The Next Stage
As a consequence, we have created this website to enable residents to be “better informed”, to read as much as you wish and to provide thoughts/comments to us.
The critical aspect is to be more informed/prepared and “on the front foot” as potentially we will only have 16 weeks from formal planning being submitted to Harrogate Borough Council making a decision which could have a massive impact on our lovely village. (This period can be extended at HBC’s discretion).
We are of the belief that a holistic approach to renewable energy is incredibly important for a sustainable future, and that includes the investment in solar farms. However, such developments must be appropriately located on already industrialised land, on roof tops or adjacent to motorways or railways, not on productive agricultural land, or in an area which will cause significant visual impact to the residents, and those further afield who visit the area. A site of the scale being proposed, is of such magnitude it will simply dwarf Scotton and the neighbouring villages, as can be seen on the map on this page.
• Size of development totally inappropriate for a site so close to residential properties in the rural village of Scotton
• Huge detrimental impact on Landscape Character, turning an expansive, tranquil landscape into a semi-industrial, utility-grade power complex
Consultees that have raised concerns about the development
– Scotton Parish Council
– Breaton Parish Council
– Farnham Parish Council
– The Ramblers Association
– Dales Bridleway Group
– British Horse Society
– Local Highways Authority
– Historic England
– Environmental Health
– Conservation & Design
Sign-up
Details will be held explicitly for the campaign only and not shared with any other party. If you wish to remove your details at any time, please contact us.