Plans to build a new solar farm on a green belt patch of land in the west of Newcastle have sparked “outrage and dismay”.
Residents in Blucher and Walbottle have reacted furiously to Northumberland Estates’ proposals to build the 21-megawatt solar park on a field north of Hospital Lane.
The Duke of Northumberland’s development arm says that the project could generate enough energy to power 8,795 homes annually for the next four decades.
But opposition from neighbouring communities is already mounting.
Jeff Brydon, of Dean Terrace in Walbottle, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the loss of the field would be devastating for local families and dog walkers.
The 51-year-old, who has lived in Walbottle for 18 years, said: “Even though this is the west of Newcastle and we have the A1 nearby, it still feels like it could be the countryside. Then I saw this plan and it is just ridiculous. Why would you ruin all this green belt?
“I have photographs of my kids playing on those fields when they were little and now that could all be taken away so that they can put some solar panels down. It is bad enough to rip up the green belt, but this is also an area that kids play on and where people walk their dogs.
“What I’m even more annoyed about is that I was contacted in the past and asked about having solar panels put on my roof – but we were all told no because of the preservation agreement in the area. I thought that was a shame, but now all of a sudden we could have a huge solar farm destroying the field. Where is the benefit for us?”
Residents can share their views about the plans at a one-day public consultation event being held this week, from 2pm to 8pm at the Blucher Social Club on Stephenson Terrace on Thursday, 27 March.
A spokesperson for the Walbottle Greenspace group added: “There is outrage and dismay that Northumberland Estates are even considering such a proposal in what is a small, rural village with so much history and conservation.”
Northumberland Estates spokesperson described the site as “low-grade agricultural land that has been in arable use for at least 20 years” and said that, while there are some public rights of way, it was not within the local conservation area and has no permitted recreational use.
They added that the solar park, for which plans have not yet been submitted formally to Newcastle City Council, is expected to have a “minor impact” on the area’s heritage assets and that “ open space and agricultural fields to the north and west of the village contribute more significantly”.
The company said: “We acknowledge concerns regarding the natural environment. To address this, we plan to enhance existing hedgerows with native scrub and include additional native hedgerows, tree planting, and species-rich grassland. Regarding biodiversity net gain (BNG), we expect an uplift of 88% in habitat units and 155% in hedgerow units. We also plan to expand and improve the footpath network, giving residents greater access to the site than is currently permitted.
“In designing the site, we have considered visibility and opted for lowered panels. It’s important to us that communities understand the project, have their say, and help shape the direction of renewable energy projects near them. We hope that residents and other stakeholders will attend the public consultation event on 27 March.”
