The community has raised a significant number of issues with the proposed Stonestreet Green solar generating station as follows:
A large part of the proposed development is located on the Aldington Ridge, which has been designated a Landscape Character Area. The elevation of the ridge is such that it will be visible from a large area as shown by the blue areas on the Zone of Theoretical Visibility Map below. Of particular concern is that the proposed development on the flanks of the Aldington Ridge will be highly visible when approaching Aldington from the A20 on Station Road and from vantage points looking across the East Stour Valley from Mersham. It is virtually impossible to adequately screen the elevated parts of the site.
The Stonestreet Green solar generating station will be visable from the areas shaded blue
A significant area of the Stonestreet Green Project is located on the East Stour flood plain and as such is susceptible to flooding. Evolution Power have recently removed the panels within the flood alleviation scheme catchment which would have been regularly under several metres of water. Further panels proposed downstream of the reservoir should similarly be removed from the scheme.
Surface water flooding currently occurs at the corner of Laws Land and Bank Road as indicated by the Government Flood Risk Map (see below). The two properties at this location are already badly affected by flooding. By Evolution Power’s own admission, the construction and operation of the solar generating station will increase the risk of surface flooding, particularly because of the topography of the surrounding area and clay soil.
This increased run-off will affect two properties on Bank Road, but when the dam overtops other properties may be affected downstream in Flood Street. The residents potentially affected have not been consulted by Evolution Power.
Government Surface Water Flooding Map
The applicant has only considered one small area of land within a feasible distance from the point of connection to the grid. Developers seeking a Development Consent Order are able to seek compulsory purchase powers to acquire land, rights of land and access. Evolution Power has not sought to assemble the “best composite landholding” for its scheme but instead developed its proposal on land made available to it.
Their focus has been on making this available landholding as suitable as they can through mitigation rather than starting with the best possible site. They have not considered the possibility of incorporating elements of land between the M20 and the railway, which we believe would greatly reduce the impact of the project on the community and landscape.
The proposed site area is important for a number of species such as the skylark, buzzard, lapwing, yellowhammer, brown hare and great crested newt. They claim that the “wild areas” provided in amongst the panels will result in a significant increase in biodiversity. How can this be the case, particularly when one considers the cumulative affect of the adjacent EDF scheme?
Bank Road is of course a Roman Road, and an Iron Age mount has been discovered adjacent to Bank Farm. We have been advised by an expert that there is moderate to high potential for important finds from the Romano/Iron Age transition within the proposed site.
Evolution Power plan to pile drive the solar panels to a depth of 3m which will inevitably damage any historic remains that lie beneath the surface. Evolution Power have carried out a magnetics survey and dug some test trenches to evaluate part of the area, but our experts advise us that far more work needs to be done prior to construction to properly evaluate the full potential of the area.
Evolution Power state that there are 18 public footpaths and one byway within the site area. They plan to extinguish two of the footpaths and all but one of the remaining footpaths will be re-routed (see map below). The re-routed footpaths have been diverted around field boundaries. Many of these fields are poorly drained and these diversions will increase walking distances significantly.
The re-routed paths will run alongside security fencing and CCTV cameras, severely diminishing our enjoyment of the countryside. Evolution Power’s approach too footpaths is in stark contrast to that of EDF in the Church Lane project, where they have maintained the route of all the existing footpaths, widened these and propose to plant hedges to screen the panels. The footpath network has existed for many hundreds of years and forms an important part of our rural amenity. It is not acceptable that our footpaths should be changed simply because retaining them is inconvenient and more costly to a developer.
Those that have lived in the area for a while will know that the land proposed for the proposed solar generating station is productive agricultural land, which, once industrialised, will be lost forever. The soil analysis work carried out by Evolution Power shows that the land consists of grades 2, 3a and 3b land (see map below). More than 80 acres or 20% of the proposed development is termed “best and most versatile land” (grades 2 and 3a).
National planning Policy guides developers to avoid BMV land. The critical control on soil quality is wetness (the factor that downgrades the soils) and it is interesting to note that the best land is located on the higher ground. If the higher ground were removed from the project, we would be able to not only preserve the best and most versatile land, but also significantly reduce the visual impact of the project.
The Planning Act 2008 was introduced to streamline the decision-making process for major infrastructure projects with the intention of making it fairer and faster for communities and applicants alike! We do not believe that Evolution Power have carried out the consultation process in the way that was intended by the Act. Their approach has simply been to tell the community what they are going to do, rather than seeking the input of the community to achieve the best design that both meets the renewable energy needs of the country and minimises the impact on the residents of our villages.
Our findings on the adequacy of the consultation are summarised in a two page document which you can download at the bottom of the contacts page. Our barrister agreed that the issues we have raised represent significant shortcomings in the consultation process. Ashford Borough Council are required to comment on the adequacy or otherwise of consultation when invited to do so by the Planning Inspectorate, once the application has been submitted and it is important that we let them know our views. Please .
Materials for the site will be delivered to site via a holding area on Station Road just south of the railway bridge. The Smeeth Crossroads on the A20 is an accident blackspot and large lorries turning right into Station Road cannot do so until all cars from Aldington have turned onto the A20. This will result in the dangerous situation where lorry drivers waiting to turn into Station Road are effectively directing emerging traffic onto the A20, with potentially dangerous consequences. The closure of Goldwell Lane for a significant period of time will also exacerbate the traffic issues, particularly during rush hour periods.
Experience from the now consented solar scheme at Cleve Hill, Faversham has been that construction workers are not after all arriving in minibuses but in their private cars - and in very large numbers. These vehicles will add significantly to traffic flows both in the villages and at the Smeeth Crossroads. The contractor’s traffic management plan has not adequately addressed these, and many other issues relating to site traffic access and egress nor the cumulative impact of this scheme when considered in conjunction with EDF’s adjacent scheme.
