Category Archives: Solar Farms
Rampisham Down Factsheet #8: Politics and Politicians
As the election draws closer, I thought it would be worth looking at the politics and politicians of Rampisham Down and who supports the development of a Solar Farm on one of Britain’s most important nature sites. There are some … Continue reading
Rampisham Down Factsheet #6: The Solar Farm Business: British Solar Renewables and Community Heat and Power
Brownfield Site? Rampisham Down SSSI It pays to know who you are dealing with, and this is as much the case at Rampisham Down as anywhere else. The developers of Rampisham Down are British Solar Renewables, as I have mentioned … Continue reading
UKIP Farm Spokesman Stuart Agnew’s chickens to be roasted by Massive Solar Farm
UKIP’s agriculture spokesman (John) Stuart Agnew may know nothing about chemistry, but he knows how to raise chickens. Agnew has a farm in Norfolk, where he has a 35000-chicken free range egg farm. Agnew also receives EU farm subsidies on … Continue reading
Solar Farm developers paying £1000 an acre a year to landowners
There’s an interesting piece on Farmers Weekly online today about rents landowners can expect to receive from Solar Farm developers. Despite the changes in the subsidy regime, the article suggests landowners can still look for £1000 an acre per annum … Continue reading
Rampisham Factcheck #5: The photographs of Rampisham Down
Some people are trying to make out that Rampisham Down SSSI is a poor quality, low value piece of wildlife grassland, or, as Professor Ghillean Prance, former Director of Key Gardens said a “very degraded and often impacted habitat”. They … Continue reading
Dorset CPRE’s letter to Secretary of State Pickles asking for Rampisham permission to be called in
Dorset CPRE have just published their letter asking for the Rampisham Down Solar Factory planning permission to be called in for determination by the Secretary of State. I am republishing it here. They make an extremely interesting point. There have … Continue reading
Another SSSI to be trashed? Councillors approve solar farm on Rampisham Down
Rampisham Down SSSI (c) Miles King While we wait to hear whether Brandon Lewis will decide to call in the planning permission granted by Medway District Council for the new town on Lodge … Continue reading
Rampisham Down SSSI Solar Farm: latest developments
I’m taking a close interest in two major developments on public or former public land, threatening newly designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Lodge Hill, and Rampisham Down. In the case of Lodge Hill, the local Council officers recommended the … Continue reading
Forget Biogas, we need Hydrogen from Solar
With 2014 looking like it’s going to be the warmest year since records began, in 1880, but probably much longer ago than that, we need to take collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I have already explained just recently … Continue reading
Rampisham: BSR antics force council to defer planning decision
Today was decision day. The culmination of nearly two years work; West Dorset District Council were finally going to decide whether to give planning permission for a 40ha area of over 100,000 solar panels to be constructed on a Site … Continue reading
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