I AM writing concerning the plans for a solar park near Besselsleigh.
During the two interviews I recently gave on BBC TV Oxford and ITV Meridian, the main proponents of renewable energy seemed to give the impression that any proposal to build solar farms or wind turbines should be approved irrespective of the status of the land.
The Besselsleigh Action Group for the Preservation of the Green Belt supports the use of renewable energy and said so during both interviews but the statements were edited out.
However, the siting of these developments cannot be at any cost. A stand must be taken and renewable energy projects must not be allowed to be sited on countryside or landscapes that have a specific designation such as the Green Belt.
Once these areas are converted to industrial use (as power stations, which is what they are), that land could be lost forever.
Who knows what building imperatives will be placed on planning committees in 25-30 years’ time when the land on which these developments are sited is supposed to be converted back to what they were.
It is a short step from industrial use to becoming a permanent brownfield site where just about anything goes. We have a duty to protect these areas of natural beauty not just for ourselves but for future generations as well.
CHRIS BRAND
Chairman, Besselsleigh Parish Meeting
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