Political hopefuls address solar energy protesters

Campaign group Save Our Green Belt, Conisbrough Parks, was set up in response to plans for a sprawling development which would see solar panels installed across a large area of open ground.

Villages including Micklebring, Braithwell, Ravenfield, Clifton and Conisbrough would be affected by the scheme, if it goes ahead.

It is being proposed by green energy company Whitestone and would cover a site which includes more than 1,000 acres of Conisbrough Parks.

That is land within the Green Belt, designated by Doncaster Council as “an area of special landscape value”.

“The turnout was amazing, over 300 local people packed the hall to find out more about our campaign to resist this industrial solar factory,” said Philip Knight, one of the campaign organisers.

“We are not a NIMBY group, we support renewable generation, but it should be on brownfield sites first, rooftops and industrial spaces, not land that has remained unchanged for over 1000 years.

“It’s not a case of not in my back yard, development like this should not be in anyone’s back yard”.

The meeting also heard from the three candidates for Mayor of Doncaster, Ross Jones, Nick Fletcher and Alexander Jones in the upcoming local elections as well as local ward candidates in Conisbrough.

The proposed development is so large that a decision on whether it is allowed to proceed will be taken at Government level, rather than relying only on the local planning system.