Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

A Dorset resident’s considered view. Expressed in a letter to Dorset Council

‘Robbing Peter to Pay Paul’

I fear the proposal to site a very large solar Farm in the sweet green fertile farmland of the Vale of Little Dairies looks very much as the heading describes.

There is no need for Solar Farms on greenfield sites. The government has recently expressed its wish to use wind energy going forward. This change of direction is also emphasised in the now urgent scheme to encourage at speed the further rewilding of the countryside with emphasis on the insects and wildlife in general, all of which are under severe duress thanks to our thoughtless activities. Why then would we blunder into an area where the environmental health is good and put it in jeopardy?

Steel, glass, installations of every sort, larger roads more traffic. It makes no environmental sense at all. This is not a green project. It is destructive. Damaging the environment to produce green energy (by day only) cancels itself out. This is not progress; we are no further forward in our supposed aim to stop destroying our environment.

Furthermore, what thought is being given to protecting productive Farmland for the very uncertain future ahead where we may need every acre to produce food in the coming difficulties caused by Climate Change. We only produce 60% of our food as it is. As southern countries become dryer, we may well be grateful for every inch of land to feed ourselves.

2023