Homeowners in Brailsford, Derbyshire, say the solar panel site will cover the equivalent of 200 football pitches
James Hodson, 60, says the solar panel scheme’s security is like a prison (Image: SWNS)
Locals in one of the UK’s oldest villages fear it will be turned “into a prison” if plans are approved for a giant 132,000-panel solar farm. Homeowners in Brailsford, Derbyshire, say the site will cover the equivalent of 200 football pitches, spoiling their views of the countryside.
Brailsford is one of the oldest villages in the country and was named in the Domesday Book in 1086 when it had a population of 24, including three smallholders who worked the land with ploughs. British Solar Renewables (BSR) has now submitted an application to instal large panels on almost 300 acres (121 hectares) of that land.
British Solar Renewables has submitted an application to instal panels on almost 300 acres (Image: SWNS)
One of those affected by the solar farm is James Hodson, 60, who bought a converted farm house in 1999.
The father-of-three said: “It’s about 300 acres of land which completely surrounds us. The access lane will be shut off to us and we’ll have to access it through a gated system.
“All these solar fields are surrounded by these 8ft high fences with CCTV cameras we will have to drive through a half-a-mile to our home which will be like driving into a prison.”
The 9ft-high panels will be yards away from gardens and will be monitored 24/7 by a series of CCTV posts and security towers.
Ironically, before completing the purchase of his home, Mr Hodson had to sign an agreement to keep the area “quiet and countrified”.
The accountant fears being surrounded by solar panels on all sides, wrecking his countryside views and making his home unsellable.
Mr Hodson said his long term plan was to downsize in the next 10 years, using the proceeds of the house to fund it, but that dream has gone now. He said: “I’ll have to work longer now and maybe we won’t be able to sell the house.”
More than 70 locals crammed into the village golf club last month to discuss their opposition to the solar farm.
Mr Hodson said: “We’re all for alternative forms of energy, but it’s got to be done in an organised manner. But it’s being done by funds, probably from overseas, and there’s a lot of these in the wrong places by the wrong sort of people.”
Jennifer Smith, 58, says she will struggle to sell her home (Image: SWNS)
Worried villagers have until the end of this month to lodge their opposition to the plans before Derbyshire Dales District Council make a ruling later this year.
Jennifer Smith, 58, and her husband Andrew moved into a barn conversion in April 2000. The officer manager, who has two grandchildren, said: “There’s one further farm on the estate and they’re tenant farmers, and have been for 34 years – they stand to lose their farming career.
“He’s farmed it in a very ecological way. He doesn’t cut his hay until July so that the ground nesting birds can nest and have their chicks. If it goes through he will be kicked out and his livelihood ruined.”
She said the scheme’s timescale meant she would struggle to sell her home before construction started. Residents were told that, if approved, the solar farm would start generating electricity in 2032.
Ms Smith said: “It’s been a beautiful environment to have and enjoy, which will ultimately be ruined. I like renewable energy, I think there’s a place for it on roof tops or car parks, but not on valuable green land.”
Carla Hardaker, Development Director at BSR, said the company was keen to work with the community. She said: “We originate, develop, build and then operate and maintain all of our own projects, so we do recognise that we are going to be neighbours in the communities that we go into for typically 40 years.
“In order to manage these relationships we are out on site and we carry out very robust surveys as part of the application to ensure that we’re in an appropriate environment or we’ve selected an appropriate site.”
