Should Lincolnshire sacrifice just over 1% of its land for solar farms to guarantee renewable energy which could power the equivalent of every home in the county?

That's the question facing leaders as 12 major applications loom.

Together, the proposals would cover the same area as 62 of London's Hyde Park, which works out to 9109 hectares or 1.3% of the total land across the county.

In return, they would generate 3,475MW, which could power around 1,114,600 homes annually. Given Lincolnshire's population of just over one million people, could this provide energy security for the region?

While the decisions will be made by the government due to the scale of the projects, local leaders have been sceptical about the benefits compared to losing the county's valuable farmland.

Mallard Pass Solar Farm is just one of the developements proposed for Lincolnshire/Rutland and totals 2,175 acres. Image credit: LDRS.

Here are the solar projects currently being developed:

• Cottam Solar Farm – 60MW – 1,133 hectares – powering 180,000
• Gate Burton Energy Park – 500MW – 1,436 hectares – powering 160,000 homes
• Tillbridge Solar Farm – 50+MW – 1,400 hectares – powering 20,000 homes
• Hatton Solar Farm – 50MW – 74 hectares – powering 21,000 homes
• Mallard Pass Solar Farm – 350MW – 880 hectares – powering 92,000 homes
• Mallows Solar Farm – 10MW – Estimated 20 hectares – powering 4,500 homes
• Springwell Solar Farm – 800MW – 1,400 hectares – powering 180,000 homes
• Washdyke Solar Farm – 27MW – 63 hectares – powering 8,700 homes
• Beacon Fen Energy Park – 600MW – 1,000 hectares – powering 190,000 homes
• West Burton Solar Project – 480MW – 1,050 hectares – powering 144,000 homes
• Holbeach Bank Solar Farm – 48MW – 80 hectares – powering 14,400 homes
• Heckington Fen Solar Park – 500MW – 587 hectares – powering 100,000 homes

Mallard Pass Solar Farm is on the border of Stamford, Rutland and close to Grantham, and would have the most immediate impact upon residents living both in South Kesteven and Rutland.

Residents of Rutland and Stamford have objected to the Mallard Pass Solar Farm as they fear that it will impact the rural landscape and way of life. Image credit: Nub News.

National food security

Conservative Councillor and the Environment portfolio holder, Colin Davie, expressed concerns that the proposed solar farms would occupying substantial amounts of "high-quality land."

"Lincolnshire is critically important to national food security and locally produced food is much better for the environment because you get the carbon miles from moving it around," added the representative for Ingoldmells Rural ward.

He later criticised the government's energy policy, labelling it a "shambles" and advocated for a fair and equitable distribution of solar farms across the whole of the country.

"We seem to have been unfairly targetted to bear the burden of all solar farm applications and that can't be right, especially bearing in mind that we've also taken on major wind energy developments as well."

There is a concern that farming land will be too limited by the developments, and that wildlife will be disrupted. Image credit: Nub News.

Rising food prices

During a meeting on Monday, Conservative Councillor Thomas Smith emphasised that the surge in solar farm development across the county is not solely a local concern but a matter of national significance.

He pointed out that Lincolnshire plays a crucial role in supplying a substantial portion of the country's food, and any encroachment on agricultural land could have far-reaching implications for food production and affordability.

"We give the majority of the food in this county to the rest of the UK. If we are building on this land, then we're not going to be able to do this, and we're going to get to a point where people cannot afford food because prices will go up even more," said the representative for North Wolds ward.

He later added: "You only need to look at what's happened with the war in Ukraine and the problems that has caused with food supply.

"It doesn't take much for supply chains to become stretched."

Councillor Smith also suggested that there is an element of uncertainty surrounding the long-term significance of the land in question as most of the proposed developments are intended to operate for up to 60 years.

"You never know what is going to happen in 60 years, that 1% of Lincolnshire land could become vital to food supply," he continued.

"I will take every application as it comes, but the fact that there are 12 major applications across Lincolnshire is a concern."

Residents worry that beauty spots in and across Rutland and Lincolnshire will be disrupted by the developments. Image credit: Nub News.

How do we solve the problem?

Councillor Robert Reid (Conservative) highlighted the existing flaws within the planning process, emphasising its narrow focus on evaluating individual applications without considering the broader implications of the issue.

To address this concern, Councillor Reid proposed that the council engage in discussions with their local MPs in order to advocate for procedural changes in handling Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).

Lincolnshire's Councillors have encountered major debate and opposition to the proposals across the county. Image credit: LDRS.

Find out more about the Mallard Pass Solar Farm proposal here.