Our Objections
Why We Oppose This Development
Our key concerns about the proposed Haxted Mead Solar Farm.
Loss of Agricultural Land
The proposed development would remove over 220 acres (equivlant to 138 football pitches) of productive farmland from production for 40 years, impacting local food production and farming heritage.
At a time of increasing concern about food security, we believe it is short-sighted to take such high-quality farmland out of production. National planning policy emphasizes the importance of protecting our best agricultural land.
Solar farms should be directed to lower-grade agricultural land, brownfield sites, or commercial rooftops where they would not compete with food production.
Visual Impact
The industrial-scale development will permanently alter the character of our rural landscape. The installation of rows of industrial solar panels, security fencing, and associated infrastructure would industrialize what is currently an open, agricultural landscape.
The site is visible from several public rights of way, including popular walking routes, and would impact views from nearby residential properties.
While the developer has proposed some screening with hedgerows, these would take years to mature and would not fully mitigate the visual impact, particularly from elevated viewpoints.
Biodiversity
The solar farm's high fences will disrupt local wildlife, blocking migratory geese, deer, and foxes from essential food, shelter, and safe passage.
The site and surrounding area support a variety of wildlife, including several protected species. The ecological surveys conducted by the developer were limited in scope and timing, potentially underestimating the site's importance for wildlife.
While the developer claims biodiversity enhancements, these would not compensate for the loss of open farmland habitat that supports ground-nesting birds, brown hares, and other species that require open spaces.
Flooding
The development would increase local flooding along Haxted Road by altering natural drainage patterns and reducing the land's ability to absorb rainfall.
The installation of solar panels and associated infrastructure will significantly alter the natural drainage patterns of the land, potentially exacerbating existing flood risks in the area.
Local residents have already experienced increased flooding in recent years, and this development would make the situation worse by covering large areas with impermeable surfaces.
Traffic
Construction would bring heavy vehicles to our narrow rural roads, causing congestion, noise pollution, and potential damage to local infrastructure.
The construction phase would require numerous heavy goods vehicles accessing the site via narrow country lanes that are not designed for such traffic.
This would not only cause significant disruption to local residents but could also damage the rural road network, which would then need to be repaired at public expense.
No Local Benefit
Why should a wealthy landowner, who is not part of the local community, be enriched while the local community suffer the consequences?
The development would provide minimal benefits to the local community while imposing significant costs and impacts. The electricity generated would be fed into the national grid, with no guarantee of local supply or reduced energy costs for residents.
The financial benefits would primarily accrue to the landowner and the development company, while the local community bears the brunt of the negative impacts.
Our Position
While we support the principle of renewable energy, we believe this specific proposal is inappropriate due to its location, scale, and impacts. We are calling on the local planning authority to refuse planning permission.
If you share our concerns, please visit our Get Involved page to learn how you can help oppose this development.