Meridian Solar Farm Sparks Local Debate with Public Consultations

Local residents in Lincolnshire are being encouraged to share their thoughts on the proposed Meridian Solar Farm, an ambitious project with the potential to power more than 215,000 homes in the area. The farm, set to sprawl across about 900 acres near Spalding and Crowland, will not only feature storage batteries but also a 13km overhead powerline. Public consultations for this project are planned between Thursday, April 24, and Sunday, June 8. Meetings will be taking place in Sutton St Edmund, Crowland, as well as Weston. The company leading the venture, Downing Renewable Developments, is eager to hear from the community to enable their feedback to shape the final proposal before it is handed in to the government later this year. David Vernon, who heads significant infrastructure projects at DRD, highlighted the critical role of the public’s contribution in determining the final designs. The venues for the public consultations in May are Sutton St Edmund Village Hall, Crowland Snowden Pavilion, and Weston Village Hall. While the project aligns with government’s aim of achieving net zero, it has stirred up some controversy in Lincolnshire. In particular, Councillor Colin Davie has expressed disapproval, viewing recent solar farm permissions as unwelcome. The project’s fate will be decided by the Secretary of State for Energy upon receiving the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation. This report was adapted from the original report by The Lincoln Post from lincolnshirelive.co.uk.