Fears the Romney Marsh will become a \u201cgreat big clean energy power station\u201d have intensified after plans for Kent\u2019s largest-ever solar farm took a major step forward.<\/p>\n
Bosses behind the huge South Brooks project have confirmed they will seek a development consent order (DCO) from the government – with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband ultimately set to make the final decision.<\/p>\n
Part of the site earmarked for South Brooks Solar Farm. Picture: EDF and PS Renewables<\/p>\n
EDF Power Solutions UK and PS Renewables first unveiled proposals for the ambitious scheme last September.<\/p>\n
Revealing revised plans, the developers say the 500MW solar farm would now cover 1,600 acres of land – the equivalent of more than 1,000 football pitches.<\/p>\n
However, this represents a significant reduction from the 2,700 acres initially earmarked for the scheme during its early scoping phase, which campaigners previously branded a “monster”<\/a>.<\/p>\n If approved, South Brooks would be one of the UK\u2019s biggest solar farms and easily eclipse Kent\u2019s current largest site, the 900-acre Cleve Hill Solar Park in Graveney.<\/p>\n Five parcels of land have now been officially earmarked for the development, including a vast site west of Lydd and others stretching across the Marsh towards New Romney.<\/p>\n A second public consultation has been launched, eight months after initial feedback was gathered and a scoping report submitted over the winter.<\/p>\n Developers say they have already reduced the battery storage area by 20% and increased land dedicated to ecology by 25%.<\/p>\n But campaigners insist the changes do little to address their wider concerns about the impact on Romney Marsh.<\/p>\n Amanda Farrant, 58, from campaign group Hands Off Our Marsh, said: \u201cWe\u2019re being offered a say on how to soften the damage, not whether the damage should happen.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is not local democracy – it is consultation without consent.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cHands Off Our Marsh is not asking for a token voice in how the damage is packaged. We are asking for a real say in whether this should happen here at all and whether this marshland we call home is even appropriate for such vast infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n Mrs Farrant said the reduction in overall acreage and battery storage did not significantly alter the fundamental scale of the plans.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 20% reduction means they\u2019re not making a smaller power station – they\u2019re just using a bit less land than what they originally said, which they didn\u2019t need all of anyway,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Romney Marsh has become a hotspot for major renewable energy projects in recent years.<\/p>\n Two other large-scale schemes – South Kent Energy Park<\/a> near Old Romney and Shepway Energy Park<\/a> – also remain in the pipeline and together would take up another 2,500 acres of farmland.<\/p>\nAmanda Farrant lives on the edge of Newchurch and believes composting is better for the environment and more cost-effective<\/p>\n
Romney Marsh is currently a hotspot for planned solar farms on Romney Marsh<\/p>\n
Romney Marsh residents saw Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s planning committee approve plans by Enviromena to build a 16 megawatt solar farm off St Mary’s Road in January. Picture: HOOM<\/p>\n