Valley Voice

Welcome to Valley Voice, where we share the heartfelt thoughts and concerns of our community members regarding the proposed solar farm developments in the Beane Valley. Our community is united in its commitment to preserving the natural beauty and tranquillity of our beloved valley.

Community Quotes

Hear some of the voices from our community:

“The visual impact of building on the valleys sloping land will be extremely bad over such a vast scenic open area.”

— Oliver B., Cottered

"We support renewable energy, but not at the expense of our beautiful open countryside. There must be more suitable locations for these developments."
— Jenny P., Luffenhall

“I live in a rural setting for many reasons - for my love of wildlife and to be able to see them thriving in their natural habitat, to be able to walk freely in peace, surrounded by beautiful fields, woods, and hedges, to be able to live in a quiet location and to dial down my stress after a tough time at work. All of this is at risk of being lost if the solar farms are approved.”

— Elaine. R., Luffenhall

"I believe that the proposed solar farms will impact very negatively on not only mine, but our whole community’s mental health and well-being. For most people in this area, it is a life-style choice to live in the country.”

Sarah.F., Cottered

“My view is that there are plenty of sites which are not areas of natural beauty like Beane Valley where solar panels could be installed unobtrusively and with no detriment to the local population and wildlife.”

- M.M.,Cottered

Community Voice

Our community conducted a survey to gather community opinions on the proposed solar farms and their potential effects on our well-being, mental health, environment, and local economy. The findings underscore the significant impact that the solar farm would have on both the residents and the surrounding environment.

Key Findings from the Survey:

Opposition to the Beane Valley Solar Farms: 97% of respondents are strongly opposed to the solar farms.

Mental Health and Wellbeing: 94% of respondents expressed concerns about the potential negative effects on their mental health and overall wellbeing.

Respondents consider the solar farms would extensively impact their sense of community.

Environmental Concerns: There is widespread apprehension about the environmental impact, including potential harm to local wildlife and natural habitats.

85% of respondents are extremely concerned about the visual impact on the landscape.

94% respondents have a considerable concern about the level of impact on their local wildlife.

85% of respondents expressed a high level of concern in terms of increased flood risk.

Planning Considerations: Residents highlighted the need for thorough planning and consideration of alternative sites, with 85% of respondents saying that their views and concerns have not been adequately considered in the planning process so far.

Agricultural Benefits and Farm Diversification: All respondents expressed concerns about loss of agricultural land.

Countryside Protection: Opinions were robust in the need for planning policy to protect the countryside.

97% of respondents do not agree that the energy crisis is a "very special circumstance" that should be the vehicle to grant planning permission in the Beane Valley.

91% of respondents said no to the concept of renewable energy taking priority over countryside landscape protection.

85% of respondents do not agree that a solar farm represents a temporary farm diversification strategy.

Local Economy: 94% of respondents think the proposed solars farms will impact the local economy negatively.

Pre-Planning Application Community Consultation and Trustworthiness of Expert Reports: 91% of respondents said the developers community consultation was poor.

There is a general scepticism in the community about the reliability of expert reports provided by the developers to support the planning application, when asked if they agreed that the expert reports were independent and unbiased 88% of respondents did not agree.