The Impact

---

Our county has already made incredible sacrifices to accommodate SIX power stations since 1925. Back then the technology necessitated a source of water close by to supply the cooling towers, hence the area being transformed into the former "Megawatt Valley" thanks to the River Trent. The impact of these power stations on the area is still visible after almost 100 years. The loss of productive agricultural and open green spaces to accommodate power stations is small in comparison to the RES solar plan, and diminutive to the whole solar on farmland gravy train nationwide . West Burton currently occupies a site of 410acres, and the local residents of the area have further supported local power generation with the new STEP generation proposal within the confines of the existing site.  One of the key features of solar technology is that sunlight can be found and harnessed anywhere, not just in our countryside. 

Companies like RES want you to believe that once they have industrialized the land, it will still somehow be viable agricultural land as intimated by the presence of sheep grazing beneath a metal and glass monstrosity on their literature-disingenuous marketing for major profit is nothing new, and of course the sheep are actually just free lawnmowers meaning RES doesn't need to employ someone to do it. The quality of the land at the end of the projects comparatively short lifespan will almost certainly render it too low to return to arable farming. Even if it it were still viable to farm, there would not be anyone to farm it, as the knowledge and skills will have been lost. The fact is that once this lands use has been changed from agricultural to industrial use, it will never go back.

Given the current level of conflict and unrest in the world, food security is becoming increasingly important.If we allow our farmland to become a commercial asset which is simply used to make the monied even richer through industrialization, we must find food for our ever increasing population and this can only be through import. Importing food we can grow ourselves, is not only a direct contradiction of becoming "greener", it leaves us all vulnerable to conflicts and wars leading to food shortages. Ultimately if a resource becomes scarce, it becomes more expensive.