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Teston Parish Council to discuss the possibility of a solar park on two fields covering four hectares, less than 100mwest ofTeston’s 14th cen- tury packhorse bridge (pictured) – a scheduled monument. The area, which has a number of
listed buildings and a conservation area nearby, is a popular destination forwalkers. Mulbrick Clean Energy has re- quested a screening opinion from Maidstone Council regarding its proposal for the 2mw power-gener- ating site, which it says would pro- vide electricity for 520 homes. Neighbour and artist Pamela Mundy is among those to have lodged an objection. She said: “A glittering field of
glass will stand out from the green- ery of the country park and the trees and the river like a sore thumb.” She added: “The country park
runs alongside the proposed solar farm and people flock to it every weekend. They come to enjoy the green countryside, not to stare at glass panels. “The Ramblers’ Association does regular walks alongside the river and many other walkers enjoy this route because it is beautiful and green and unspoiled. The solar pan- els would be the beginning of the end of this beautiful natural land- scape.”
Another neighbour, Simon Smith, says a solar farm is totally out of
Cherry farms
hit by fruit fly Continued from page one This year it has affected trees on
the farm’s orchards, which supply farm shops and supermarkets. The farm will be destroying any affected fruit. He said: “We have just started picking and are having to go over the trees to see which have been af- fected. I have heard from other growerswhohave been affected too, but at the moment it seems to be only on a small scale.” Aspokesperson from British Sum-
mer Fruits, which represents 98% of UK berry growers, said: “There will be plenty of first-rate British cherries available this summer. “Unlike other affected countries,
the UK industry anticipated the ar- rival of SWD and set up a cross-in- dustry and government working group to ensure the correct meas- ures are in place.” Much of the advice for controlling
the pest has come from work by East Malling Research.
10 Maidstone South July 2015
Solar farm ‘will ruin rural park’ Plans spread
acrossWeald Continued from page one
keeping with the area. “It’s a beautiful, unspoilt, green
valley. People come from miles around to enjoy Teston Park orwalk the Medway Valley. How can they consider installing a huge field of black, ugly, solar panels?” Teston Parish Council has asked
for an environmental impact assess- ment before any plan is submitted. It notes that the fields are prime agri- cultural land valued for the scenery. The slope makes the land difficult to screen. It adds: “There is no consideration
for the impact on the setting of Teston Bridge, which is grade I listed and a scheduled ancient monument, or Barham Court, which is grade II* listed.
“Whatever the applicant claims
about panels being ‘designed to ab- sorb light rather than reflect it’, any polished surface reflects light falling on it beyond a critical angle. Given the topography of the site, glint, and
occasional glare, could be a real nui- sance and, given the very close prox- imity and direction of a railway level crossing, could produce occasional hazardous driving conditions, in- cluding for train drivers approach- ing the level crossing.” It has also expressed concern
about a proposed2mfence to secure the site, which it claims is a “visual intrusion” in itself, and suggests more invasive fencing may be re- quired, perhaps with CCTV and lighting, which would spoil Med- way Valley’s prized “dark” status. It concludes: “Solar sites are sup-
posed to be temporary sites, albeit perhaps for 20-plus years. It is noted that this proposal states a lifespan of 30 years. There is no assurance that funds would be available for re- moval in due course, perhaps via a sinking fund beyond the owner’s control.” The applicant says the parallel panels would follow the contours of
with no financial provision for de- commissioning, and that agricul- ture continues. But the sheep grazing is only for brief periods in the summer to keep the grass down cheaply. It is not food production by any stretch of the imagination.” Susenco has submitted a screen-
ing opinion relating to the need for an environmental impact assess- ment, which is a precursor to a full planning application. Should the scheme eventually
get the go-ahead, construction would take three months and would involve the importing of equipment by about 130 vehicles, with additional traffic movements required for staff. Elsewhere, campaign group Pro-
tect the Weald is fighting a 25.8- hectare solar park in Great Tong Farm, off Ulcombe Road, Head- corn.
the land and their height would be capped at 2.5m, with cabling con- cealed in trenches. Existing hedges would be under-planted to obscure the site. Natural England said the proposal
did not seem to affect any nationally- designated geological or ecological sites or landscapes.
Gypsies in new bid to make site legal
THE Smith family has made yet an- other attempt to legalise its gypsy site containing six pitches inWagon Lane, Paddock Wood. Despite Maidstone Council re-
fusing its applications going back several years to live at Green Acres, the family remains in situ. Last year, a retrospective plan-
ning application for change of use and the siting of six static and six
mobile caravanswas refused by the council and an appeal rejected. The family has now submitted a
new application, which explains the measures they will take to re- solve flooding problems. A supporting statement said:
“After four years on Green Acres we have eased people’s concerns and become part of the community. Our children have settled in
schools and are making lots of progress aswell as lots of friends. “If our application is not accepted
we will be made homeless with nowhere to go.We doubt the coun- cil will be able to help us becausewe read in the Downs Mail that there is a shortfall of gypsy sites.” Maidstone Council will decide
the application, which is likely to face strong local objections.
Award for animal-lover
A HEADCORN woman who has de- votedher life tocaring foranimals has been given one of the RSPCA’s high- est honours. Daphne Harris, who chairs the Tun-
bridgeWellsandMaidstone branch of the charity has been awarded the Queen Victoria gold award. Daphne has been a member of the
RSPCA since 1973, following a child- hood spent looking after waifs and strays on her parents’ smallholding. The local RSPCA persuaded her to
openacattery whichmovedtoanum- ber of sites before settling in its current location in Headcorn. In1998she becamehonorary chair-
man of the Mid-Kent and Maidstone branch, which became the Tunbridge Wells & Maidstone branch in 2003, and in 1994 she was elected to the council as deputy treasurer. She be- camechairman of its board in 2008. Daphne has been a branch dog re-
homer formore than 35 years, aswell as sheltering unwanted cats.
VILLAGERS have been outraged by a proposal to set up a solar farm close to the historic Teston Bridge, just north of the area’s popular country park. More than 60 villagers met with
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