Solar energy farm proposal welcomed

Renewable energy firm RES want to transform 30 acres of land at Tom Lane, Duckmanton into a huge solar farm capable of supplying power for up to 1600 households each year.

A public consultation into the proposals was held by the Hertforshire firm on Monday at Duckmanton Primary School and attracted FIGURES.

Members of the RES project team discussed the plans with visitors, who had a chance to register their views and make suggestions about how the project can benefit the community.

Eliot Davies, RES Project Manager, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who came to our public exhibition on Monday for the proposed Arkwright Solar Farm.

“We really enjoyed meeting with local people and gaining their views about our proposal and solar energy in general.

“The feedback we received was very positive, with several interesting suggestions on how the project may benefit the community should it be consented.

“We have taken note of these and will discuss the community benefit options with people in more detail as the project progresses.”

Derbyshire Times readers were quick to welcome the proposals online and on social media sites.

On the Derbyshire Times website, one user – Conker87 – said: “Excellent, more of these should be put up. The more we use renewable the better off we will be when fossil fuels run out.”

Facebook user, Frances Lilly, said: “I see it as clean fresh energy for our future generations –I don’t see these solar farms or wind turbines as ‘eyesores’.”

Another user, Jono Cook, added: “We need them. If you think we don’t need alternative energy sources, you’ve simply not read enough.”

Andy Slack, commented: “Fossil fuels are finite, hopefully the sun isn’t.”

But not everyone is happy with the plans. On the Derbyshire Times’ website, a user named Saveenergy, said: “It’s a strange concept that to ‘save fossil fuels’, we use fossil fuels to make solar panels, install them on farmland and then fly in farm produce from around the world using… fossil fuels.”

RES will consider feedback from the public before submitted a planning application for the solar farm later this spring.

What do you think of the plans for the solar farm? Email [email protected]