Firm due to release details of major solar farm

The firm behind an enormous solar farm is due to be presenting its design for the development in the coming weeks. Meridian Solar is due to be submitting an application to build a 750MW solar farm over several parcels of land in the Crowland , Shepeau Stow and Sutton St Edmund area. The application is expected to be lodged with the Government - which will make the final decision - between July and September but a further consultation is due in the ‘spring’.

We did ask the company to provide us with details of their estimated profits from this project but they are unable to ‘say with any certainty what the expected profit would be over the lifetime of the project’. A statement from the firm said: “We held the Meridian Solar stage one consultation between May and July 2024 to introduce our initial proposals and encourage feedback from local communities. We’re using the feedback received, alongside our ongoing environmental and technical assessments, to develop our proposals and present an initial scheme design at stage two consultation, currently planned for spring 2025.



“As part of stage two consultation, we will produce a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR). This will provide information that reflects the emerging design and the preliminary results of the environmental assessments we have carried out for a variety of topics. We will also publish a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) to outline how local people can take part in the consultation.

” Concerns had been raised that Meridian was scoping out land in Broadgate, Weston Hills, after a notice from the company was put up asking to trace the owners and tenants. But the firm says its initial proposals included two options to link up up the solar farm to the National Grid’s proposed Weston Marsh substation. The Meridian statement added: “We are still carefully considering the options and are undertaking further surveys along the connection corridors to help us understand some of the key environmental features and to inform our ongoing design work.

At this point we have not yet scoped out any land from the project.” Lincolnshire Against Needless Destruction (LAND), a new campaign group which is fighting against a number of renewable energy projects, has advised people to be too alarmed by the notice. Andrew Malkin said: “Where a developer hasn't been able to establish who owns the land on the Land Registry, they are obliged to 'place notice' “Although officiously worded these do not necessarily mean compulsory purchase or use of the land in question, they indicate that surveys will be taking place for any number of reasons.

Often wildlife surveys expand beyond the proposed planning site “We urge anyone receiving notice to contact a land agent. More details on these types of notice and links to recommended land agents are available at our website: www.lincsland.

co.uk”.