“This area is not just a piece of land, it’s a source of well-being and tranquility”
A stock image of a solar farm(Image: Ameresco)
Scores of people have already signed a petition calling for a project to create a solar farm on fields on the Dundry Slopes to be scrapped, even before those behind the project have had the opportunity to show local residents what they are planning. A campaign has begun to challenge the project, put forward by Bristol City Leap, to install a large number of solar panels on fields on the edge of Withywood.
Bristol Live revealed the plans earlier this month, as City Leap – the city council’s £1bn partnership with US renewable energy provider Ameresco – announced it would be holding a drop-in session to show what they want to do to local residents soon.
The plans would see the fields behind Hersey Gardens in Withywood, on the very south-western edge of Bristol, covered in solar panels which would generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 500 homes.
The land there, currently used as paddocks for horses, is within the City and County of Bristol and is owned by the city council. It is a north-facing slope as the Dundry Slopes rise up from Withywood and Hartcliffe to Dundry, and is part of the highest point of the city.
But a petition has now been started, and around 150 people have signed it in just a few days. The petition was set up on the Change.org website, by an anonymous person who named themselves ‘Local Bristolian’. Bristol Live has contacted them, but has received no response.
The petition states that the land being earmarked for the solar farm is special to people in Withywood. “The proposed location for the solar farm behind Hersey Gardens in Withywood poses significant issues for our community,” they said.
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“This area is not just a piece of land; it is a public footpath used daily by local residents seeking a respite in one of the few accessible green spaces in our deprived sector of Bristol. Withywood often goes overlooked by local government, and allowing this solar farm to proceed in its current location would strip away our precious green space.
“Green spaces are critical to mental health, providing a serene environment that can uplift spirits and offer a much-needed escape from urban life. By taking away this footpath and parkland for industrial use, we are depriving the community of a source of well-being and tranquility.
“The proximity of the proposed solar farm – less than 20 metres from residential houses – raises concerns over potential noise pollution and the impact of construction and operational activities.
Hersey Gardens in Withywood, on the very edge of South Bristol as it begins to climb the Dundry Slopes(Image: Google Maps)
“Adding to these concerns, the proposed site is on a hill known to be prone to flooding. Building a solar farm in such a location may not just pose risks to residential properties but also to the viability and safety of the solar installation itself. Flooding can damage infrastructure and create hazards for the community.
“We urge the local authorities to consider an alternative location for the solar farm that will not compromise the well-being, safety, and quality of life for the residents of Withywood. Our community deserves development that respects and enhances our living environment, not one that undermines it,” they added, calling on people to sign the petition asking for the proposed solar farm to be moved ‘to a more suitable location, ensuring the preservation of our valued green space and safeguarding the well-being of Withywood residents’.
Bristol Live has contacted Bristol City Leap, and a response is awaited.