The Climate Emergency, the cost of living crisis and the energy crunch are all linked by how we generate, use and supply energy. We urgently need to generate energy from new, low cost, low carbon sources and solar is the lowest cost and quickest to deploy of all energy sources. It is currently one-ninth the cost of gas and less than one third of the cost of nuclear.

The proposed solar farm will generate renewable electricity integral to the UK Government’s overarching policy to provide significant reductions in national greenhouse gas emissions and improved energy security.

The Government’s Energy Security Strategy (2022) proposed a five-fold increase in solar by 2035. Motcombe Solar Farm will assist in helping the UK reach this target and create a greener, cleaner energy future for Dorset. We are committing long-term funding to bring forward renewable energy generation and low carbon programmes which we believe will help deliver a more sustainable future.

The solar farm is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. Once the solar farm is no longer in operation it will be decommissioned and the land will return to its previous agricultural usage.

The UK Food Security Report (2021) found that “the biggest medium to long term risk to the UK’s domestic production comes from climate change and other environmental pressures like soil degradation, water quality and biodiversity”. Solar farms currently account for 0.08% of total land use in the UK (Solar Energy UK 2022). The Government targets for a fivefold increase in solar would result in 0.3% of the UK land area being used by solar (Carbon Brief, 2022). This is the equivalent to around half of the space used by golf courses.

"BNG is an approach to development. It makes sure that habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before the development. In England, BNG is mandatory under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as inserted by Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 2021). Developers must deliver a BNG of 10%. This means a development will result in more or better quality natural habitat than there was before development.” (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-biodiversity-net-gain).

Is biodiversity in decline? Yes. Dorset Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency in 2019, which covers the whole of Dorset, without exception.

Solar farms regularly generate BNG far in excess of the 10% mandatory requirement.

Planning applications are required to include within their red line application boundarie, all land requiring consent for development as defined. We have a point of connection within the site, at the eastern end of the site. Any requirements for onward connections by ‘statutory undertakers’ are covered by permitted development rights and do not need to be included within the planning application.

We expect to utilise an existing field access onto Bittles Green. That access has existed for many years and has serviced agricultural vehicles with a clean safety record (https://www.crashmap.co.uk/). Construction traffic will be managed via a construction [traffic] management plan, which Dorset Council should impose via planning condition attached to any planning permission.

We think so, but until a planning application is submitted and determined through the planning system then that answer remains open. However, please note that the North Dorset Local Plan clearly says that in principle “the types of development that may be appropriate in the countryside [includes] renewable energy schemes”. The principle of development is established, the planning application will deal site-specific issues such as landscape, ecology, highways etc.