Arundel and South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith, has called on the ruling Liberal Democrat group on Chichester District Council to make a stand and stop a highly controversial solar farm project on farmland near Wisborough Green.
On behalf of residents, the MP will present a petition in Parliament on Tuesday 2nd December calling upon the scheme to be refused.
The planning application for a 20MW solar farm on farmland is due to be determined at Chichester District Council’s planning committee meeting this Wednesday morning (3rd December). The council have received 174 objections, including from the MP, residents (including former rock legend, Mike Rutherford), and every one of the parish councils of Loxwood, Kirdford, Plaistow and Ifold, and Wisborough Green which surround the site.
Andrew Griffith said:
“Chichester’s ruling Liberal Democrat group have been giving solar speculators the ‘come on’ with their policies on climate action and have so far failed to take a clear stand with the result that no green area is safe. To fail to fight this because of their green dogma would be unconscionable and - much as they don’t like being held to account - this will be on them.
"This rural location is no place for industrial scale solar which would be better off on supermarket roofs, public buildings and other brownfield sites. As a means of energy, it is expensive and relies on taxpayer subsidies as well as not being especially sustainable as it is build using coal-based energy in China.”
