How Should I Write My Objection?

Everyone will have their own reasons for wanting to object to this development.  However, knowing what to write or how to phrase it is not always that straight forward.

To help you to write your objections, we have produced some template text for you to use and adapt.  Please, however, make sure that your objection is personal to you.  The aim is for you to tell Herefordshire County Council why YOU are against this development.

To view the template text, please click on the “+”sign next to the relevant headings.  You will then see a series of tabs with some suggested wording.

  1. The very large size of the proposed development (89 acres) is totally inappropriate for a site so close to residential properties in the North Herefordshire wooded upland rural environment of Acton Beauchamp. The impact of such a huge industrial solar farm would fundamentally change the tranquil character of the area.

    The application shows that the development would be visible from most of the western slopes of the Frome valley, industrialising a previously beautiful natural asset. The proposed development therefore contravenes the Herefordshire Core Strategy Policy LD1 Landscape and SS6 Environmental Quality and Local Distinctiveness.

  2. The very large development would be approx. 3x the size of the nearest village, and many more times the quaint rural hamlets that are in the immediate vicinity. Therefore the development would completely change the character of the area irrevocably.

  3. Solar power should be appropriately located on already industrialised land, on roof tops or adjacent to motorways, not on productive agricultural land. Where will our food come from if we fill our fields with solar panels?

  4. I moved here from the city to enjoy the tranquillity of farmers fields, small lanes, hedgerows, views of open country and the Malvern Hills, not to see the area ruined by 9ft tall solar panels and security fencing.

  5. The development proposal would significantly adversely impact the character and appearance of the “open countryside” landscape. The open fields and woods with far reaching views (particularly views into the Malvern Hills AONB) would turn into a semi-industrial, utility-grade power complex, with large areas of 2.6m high dark solar panels, new permeant structures, electrical equipment and security fencing.

  6. I consider that the proposed development contravenes Herefordshire Core Strategy (5.3.7) which states that Landscape is important, not just as scenery but because it links culture with nature, and the past with the present. It has many values, not all of them tangible (such as sense of place); and it matters to people – it is people who create and value landscape. All landscapes matter, not only those with national designations. They provide a range of services such as food, water, climate regulation and aesthetic enjoyment.

  1. This development would provide no meaningful impact on either climate change or energy security given its low power output and intermittent generation of power. It would however scar the landscape for the foreseeable future, and for the rest of many local residents’ lives. The planning balance is thus clearly tipped towards rejecting this application.

  2. It will damage the landscape and we’ll still have to look at it on cloudy days and when the leaves have fallen when it is generating no power. How will that fight climate change?

  3. The proposed development contravenes Policy LD1 Landscape and SS6 Environmental Quality and Local Distinctiveness and most recent Place Shaping Options Consultation for Rural Areas (June 2022) which requires that development proposals protect, enhance or restore the landscape character of North Herefordshire for its intrinsic beauty and for its benefit to the environmental and social well-being in the County. A few hedges and flowers planted in place of the loss of 89 acres of commercially viable arable land will not achieve this.

  4. The location selected could not have a bigger impact on the enjoyment of the landscape. By virtue of its road side presence and huge area it will dominate the local landscape. Had the developer considered local people then they would have selected a different site in the parish that maintains access to the grid but is shielded from residential housing and PROWs.

  1. The proposed development site is crossed by several Public Rights of Way, one running East/West and a footpath and a bridleway running North/South. A new North/South PROW is also proposed across the South of the proposed development area. These are all well used by walkers from the local area, as well as people from further afield.

  2. I regularly use these footpaths and enjoy the extensive open views of green fields, and feeling of space and open air. I enjoy the wooded valleys and agricultural farmland with more distant views into the Malvern Hills AONB and Black Mountains. The development would block these with arrays of 2.6m high dark coloured solar panels which would totally alter my experience for the worse, if I would use the footpaths at all should the development go ahead.

  3. The footpath and bridleway would be separated from the site by a 2.5m high security fence. The solar panels and fencing would destroy the wide, open views and create an unpleasant tunnel along the footpath and bridleway, spoiling the whole walk.

  4. Herefordshire Core Strategy Policies SS6 Environmental Quality and LD3 Green Infrastructure states that proposals affecting the Public Rights of Way network should ensure the retention of existing green infrastructure corridors and linkages; including the protection of valued landscapes, trees, hedgerows, woodlands and water courses. It is difficult to see how adding 89 acres of 2.6 m high panels and security fencing with cameras will achieve this goal.

  5. The proposed development sits on the intersection of a number of well used PROWs. These PROWs constitute around half of the paths available in Acton Beauchamp Parish, the loss of which will materially impacting the amenity provided to residents and visitors alike by our PROWs.

  6. There is no doubt that the proposed Solar Farm will impact on the landscape and Public Rights of Way (PROW) in the immediate vicinity. The locality is currently enjoyed by a significant number of tourists/ visitors to the immediate area among them Out to Grass Camping / Activities, Malvern View Caravan Site and several local farm bed & breakfast, camping / caravan site businesses. Overall the Solar Farm development proposal poses a threat to the local Tourist Business this would contravene Herefordshire Core Strategies SS6 Environmental quality & local distinctiveness and E4 Tourism.

  1. It is increasingly important to avoid good quality land being lost to development in order to ensure that food is grown in the UK and to reduce the reliance on imported food. Over the years the site has been used to grow multiple arable crops; wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, broad-beans and doubtless others. How can taking this food out of the supply chain help Britian be sustainable?

  2. We consider the proposed development contravenes Herefordshire Core Strategy and is also contrary to the Herefordshire Farming and Land Use Action Plan 2021 Core Strategy update (point 4) which states that policies should encourage and enable the future proofing of food production in Herefordshire. Removal of good quality agricultural land does precisely the opposite.

  3. This development would be contrary to Zero Carbon Herefordshire Farming and Land Use Countywide Action Plan. As a rural county there is a huge opportunity to manage the land responsibly to limit the impact of the climate and ecological emergency on people and wildlife by capturing carbon in the soil, hedges, grassland and trees while also reducing the footprint of food production. Removing viable arable farmland will only place additional pressure on the land remaining.

  4. Only the developer will benefit, although with the high electricity prices surely he could still make money if the panels were placed on roofs?

  5. The arable land upon which the development will sit is commercially viable and as it is part of a plateau enjoys minimal flood risk, making it very important in terms of food security and difficult to replicate. To lose this to solar panels that could be easily placed elsewhere on less valuable land would not be in the best interests of Herefordshire or the UK.

  1. The local “open countryside” south facing wooded landscape is home to owls, woodpeckers, deer, insects, badger, newts, frogs and toads. Transforming this landscape into an industrialised one with panels and security fencing will disrupt if not destroy existing habitat for these animals.

  2. A few wildflowers which the grazing sheep will eat isn’t going to make up for the loss of open space currently enjoyed by the skylarks (red listed), brown hare, roe deer, muntjac deer, badger (protected), owls (tawny, barn & little), woodpecker (green & greater spotted), buzzards, red kites, bats (various protected species) and their smaller mammalian rodent and insect food chains.

  3. Future RPA subsidy will demand set aside and other biodiversity initiatives – has this been taken into account? If a field is covered by solar panels it is difficult to see how a similar level of biodiversity can be achieved.

  4. The proposed solar farm development contravenes Herefordshire Core Strategy Policy SS6 Environmental Quality which states that Development proposals should conserve and enhance those environmental assets that contribute towards the county’s distinctiveness, in particular its landscape and biodiversity and LD2 Biodiversity as Development proposals should conserve, restore and enhance the biodiversity assets of Herefordshire. It is clear that no amount of mitigation can counter the failure to meet these Herefordshire Core Strategy policy objectives for this particular development proposal.

  1. The size and extent of the proposed solar farm in Acton Beauchamp (89 acres) in an unspoilt area of upland rural farmland means that it will be highly visible both from and in views the setting of a significant number of very Local Grade ll Listed Heritage Assets. There are 17 (seventeen) Grade ll Listed Buildings in the immediate vicinity surrounding the proposed solar farm development. Two more Listed Buildings are in prominent more distant locations that will also be negatively impacted by the development proposal.

  2. Placing modern, reflective solar panels and security fencing in very close proximity to listed buildings is not appropriate. It will spoil their setting and substantially impact on the beauty of their surroundings, spoiling the location for residents and visitors alike.

  3. We consider the proposed development contravenes Herefordshire Core Strategy Policy LD4 Historic Environment & Heritage Assets, which aims to protect, conserve, and where possible enhance heritage assets and their settings in a manner appropriate to their significance which is historically rooted in an unspoilt rural environment. It is difficult to see how such a large and dominant modern feature can do anything other than detract from these heritage assets.

  1. The proposed development will create significant transport impact on the local rural road network during development. The construction stage is significant (several months) and will involve the delivery of 1,000s solar panels and mounting infrastructure, as well as shipping containers for electrical equipment on large articulated lorries, HGV’s, and vans. The site is surrounded by extremely narrow lanes popular with walkers, cyclist and horse riders. They are already well used and totally unsuitable for large vehicles.

  2. The construction stage will last several months and will involve articulated lorries, HGV’s and vans transporting materials to the site(s). Site access is either via Acton Green or Bishops Frome and is extremely narrow. Houses directly on either side of the lane will be severely impacted by the noise and vibration caused by the increase in HGV traffic during the construction phase.

  3. The development will produce an unacceptable increase in traffic through the large HGV wagons that will descend on the quiet single-track lanes during the construction phase and through the inevitably higher level of routine traffic journeys that could arise for operational maintenance & repair, cleaning, inspection and security.

  4. It is hard to see how multiple HGVs on a single-track country lane during the construction phase can be managed safely or without significant disruption given the usage of the lane by walkers, cyclists, farmers and motorists.

  5. I consider that during the construction phase of the proposed solar farm development the disruption from development traffic will be unacceptably high in the quiet rural environment of Acton Beauchamp and would inevitably contravene Herefordshire Core Strategy Policy SS4 Movement and Transportation which states that new developments should be designed and located to minimise the impacts on the transport network; ensuring that journey times and the efficient and safe operation of the network are not detrimentally impacted. If you are unlucky enough to be on the road when HGV and tractor and trailer meet on the single-track lane that serve the site then it is unlikely that your journey time won’t be detrimentally impacted.

  6. Solar PV panels require to be sprayed and cleaned regularly (dust and bird droppings) to ensure their maximum efficiency when exposed to solar radiation. For a circa 89 acre Solar Power station this would require an almost continuous process and would entail significant local disruption from the process due to traffic and potentially noise.

  1. When rain falls on the solar panels it will be concentrated into channels below the edges of the solar panels as opposed to be absorbed by the high-quality agricultural land below. This concentration will inevitably produce erosion of the clay soil, damaging the land below and blocking the local drainage system. This will increase the likelihood of increased localised flooding on the roads surrounding the site.

    Equally concerning is that the increased, concentrated flow of water will then exacerbate the already poor road drainage and produce increased erosion of the recently resurfaced roads around Sevington; causing more expense for the council to repair such defects and for the motorist to repair the damage done to their vehicles. Cyclists who regularly use the lane will also be impacted, if not deterred due to the increase in dangerous large or deep potholes that will occur.

  2. I consider that the proposed solar farm development will inevitably increase the risk of localised flooding very significantly due to the concentration of run off and will therefore contravene both Herefordshire Core Strategy Policies SS7 Addressing Climate Change and SD3 Sustainable Water Management.

  3. Damage to roads is likely to contravene Herefordshire Core Strategy Policy SS4 Movement and Transportation which states that new developments should be designed and located to minimise the impacts on the transport network and not damage them.

  1. The solar panels will be really close to some lovely houses and be visible from the road for a long way. This will make the area seem very different to before. I think that the solar panels would be much better placed on roofs or by the sides of motorways which have already spoilt the land around them.

  2. The houses close by will get glint and glare and the sun moves across the panels. It will really feel quite oppressive being hemmed in by this development.

  3. The proposed development contravenes Herefordshire Core Strategy Policy SS6 Environmental Quality and SD2 Renewable and low carbon energy generation (para 2) which requires development proposals to be designed to ensure that they will not result in significant adverse impacts on the amenity of occupiers and neighbours.

    It is hard to see how having thousands of panels and security fencing where there once stood crops and open fields could not be viewed as a significant adverse impact.

  1. In order to protect the Solar Panels from theft and damage significant security arrangements are required. These involve intrusive CCTV facilities. The use of passive infra-red and triggered visible light illumination to cover the whole site.

    On site Alarm Systems (as a deterrent) that may be triggered by wild animals or may require remotely based security personnel to visit at any time of the day or night giving rise to increased traffic and unnecessary noise and disruption to the peace and tranquillity of the deeply rural surrounding area.

  2. There is evidence from Freedom of Information (FoI) Requests from various Police Authorities across the UK that an increased level of reported incidents and thefts (PV panels, electrical & CCTV cabling) requiring Police intervention are associated with Solar Farms. This implies an increase in visits by criminals to the local area than would otherwise be the case without the proximity to the Solar Farm. Given that the area has relatively low crime incidents this is a consideration that should carry weight in the planning balance.

  1. The period of a Solar Farm Grant of Planning Permission may extend for 40 years although the life of the solar pv panels is currently uncertain and may be limited to 20-25 years. At this point the power generation capability of the panels may have degraded to such an extent that extensive replacement will be required. At this point such replacement may not be economically viable.

  2. Who will pay for this if the land is to be returned to farming use (as the developer claims)? What guarantees are in place to ensure that the panels and infrastructure will be removed? Or will the developer say that it is easier to replace rather than remove the panels and infrastructure thus negating any argument re the temporary nature of solar factories?