Residents unite to oppose northern Devon ‘solar and battery gold rush’

Residents are uniting to oppose a super-sized solar farm that would be so large it straddles both North Devon and Torridge and the biggest in the whole county to date.

Conservation charity Devon CPRE is among those leading the fight against plans by Noventum Power for the 111 hectare Bulworthy Solar Farm on pasture land in the Alverdiscott/Stony Cross.

The 50 megawatt array of panels plus a battery energy storage system (BESS) will be decided by a combined planning committee of both North Devon Council and Torridge District Council.

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The developers say the array would produce enough green electricity to power the equivalent of approximately 24,000 homes, although objectors dispute their figures.

Since Devon CPRE chair Steve Crowther and director Penny Mills addressed a packed meeting at Alverdiscott Community Hall on Thursday, September 4, concerned residents have formed the Bulworthy Solar Action Group to oppose the scheme.

Above: The meeting at Alverdiscott Village Hall to discuss the Bulworthy Solar Farm proposals and hosted by Devon CPRE was well attended. Credit: Sharon Goble 

Mr Crowther and Ms Mills told the meeting of the charity’s concerns about the scale and impact of yet another large solar farm. They also spoke about the risk of fire or explosion posed by battery storage systems, which they said resulted in the emission of toxic fumes and heavy metals affecting both people and the environment.

Mr Crowther said: “Because of its strong grid connection, Alverdiscott is a honeypot for investors wanting to cash in on the ‘solar and battery gold rush’.

“There’s a growing cluster of solar farms and battery schemes around Alverdiscott and Stony Cross, and this latest proposal, Bulworthy solar farm and BESS, would bring the cumulative total of farmland lost to solar up to nearly 700 acres. It’s starting to look like a mega site here.

“Later this year, the new building standards will mandate that solar panels should be put on new-build roofs wherever possible. However, we still have a massive fight on our hands to stop good Devon farmland from being taken for solar sites. So far, we’ve lost about 4,500 acres.”

Above: Among concerns over developer's claims, people are objecting to the impact on so much pasture land. Credit: Devon CPRE

Ms Mills told the community meeting she had personal reasons to feel sad about the prospect of Bulworthy Farm disappearing under glass panels.

She said: “I used to spend my childhood holidays visiting my great aunt, who used to live on a little part of Bulworthy Farm, so coming here has brought it all back to me. I remember the farm very well and when I first heard about this proposal, it made me very sad.”

Above: Devon CPRE chair Steve Crowther discusses the Bulworthy solar farm plans.

Devon CPRE has already submitted its objection to the Bulworthy solar farm and BESS and will continue to support members in their efforts to stop what it says is an ‘inappropriate large-scale development’.

Both Natural England and the Historic Environment Team have objected to the application, also highlighting inadequacies in the assessments provided by the developer.

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CPRE member Andy Woo said: “The worry is that we’ve got an emperor’s new clothes situation. We have people who are concerned quite rightly about climate change and the environment, but they’re not really aware these projects are not going to make the change they think.

“We’ve heard statements read out tonight where they clearly equate these projects with saving the environment. They don’t necessarily know that the projects already in the pipeline and granted will already exceed the targets set for Net Zero. They, almost in a one-dimensional way, are thinking ‘renewable energy projects equal free electricity, which it doesn’t. It costs a lot of money to produce that, and then you’ve got to think at the other end about decommissioning.”

Local resident Les Parton said he was worried about the mushrooming of solar sites in the countryside and the way governments are prioritising energy production over food production.

Another resident, Pete Tanner, questioned the honesty of claims made by the developer, stating his belief the scheme was motivated by the desire for investors to make money.

The Bulworthy Solar Action Group has been set up on Facebook to oppose the scheme.