Rural villagers celebrate victory against giant solar farm
Date of alert:
Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Crime Ref:
Force:
Lincolnshire Police
Rural villagers from Lincolnshire are celebrating a legal victory, after thwarting an energy company’s plans to convert prime agricultural land into a giant solar farm.
After a lengthy court battle and near three-year objection, residents of three villages have successfully gained a court order to quash the planning approval granted by East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) for the Hatton Solar Farm.
The planning application was initially submitted by Push Energy in 2022, with plans to install a 49.9MW solar farm with a 132kV substation between the rural villages of Hatton, Sotby and Great Sturton.
The proposed development would have covered 72ha of prime agricultural farmland.
Banding together, local residents held a series of fundraising events to fund the legal campaign to fight the planning approval – resulting in a judicial review which was invoked against ELDC in December last year.
