Doncaster solar farm given go-ahead despite objections – BBC

Plans for a solar farm in Doncaster have been given the go-ahead despite objections from residents.
The 536-hectare development near the villages of Fenwick, Moss, Topham and Sykehouse was granted development consent by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero this week.
Residents opposing the plans previously raised concerns about the impact on wildlife and loss of arable land.
Boom Power, the developer behind the multi-million pound scheme, said it hoped construction could start as soon as 2027.
On its website, it said the solar farm would make "a significant contribution" towards the UK meeting its net zero targets and would deliver against Doncaster Council's priorities around tackling climate change and generating more electricity from renewable sources.
According to Boom Power, the Fenwick Solar Farm development would deliver enough carbon-free electricity to power 75,000 homes.
Rob Smith, head of project development, said that although the electricity would not directly power nearby villages, it would feed into the national grid.
"If you think about it as water, like a reservoir, you turn your tap on, you know your water's coming from somewhere but you can't pinpoint where it's coming from.
"That's kind of how the electricity network works."
Smith said the development is expected to be linked to the national electricity grid by 2032 but Boom Power was hoping to bring the date forward to 2029.
Construction would take roughly two years, he added.
Members of Fenwick Solar Farm Action Group previously said the land should be used for food production and raised concerns over the project harming the character, access and environment of the area.
Smith said objections against solar projects were not unusual and were often "about the unknown and change".
He said about 90 acres at the site would be used for wildlife habitats and public rights of way would be preserved.
Once the project was under way, he said a community benefit fund would be opened to allocate money for local projects.
As the scheme is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, permission to build had to be granted by the government rather than Doncaster Council.
In a letter, Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, concluded the public benefits associated with the development "outweigh the harm identified", and that consent should therefore be granted.
The BBC has contacted Fenwick Solar Action Group as well as Miliband, who is the MP for Doncaster North, for comment.
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