MP Roz Savage has publicly criticised Island Green Power (IGP), the developer behind the proposed Lime Down solar park, for allegedly offering financial inducements—up to £50,000—to around 50 landowners in Wiltshire. The payments are reportedly contingent on the landowners agreeing not to object to the solar park’s planning application.
According to a letter obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, IGP conditioned the cash offer on landowners withdrawing any prior objections and refraining from opposing the Development Consent Order (DCO) application. The letter specifically requires recipients to formally notify the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Planning Inspectorate that they no longer oppose the project.
In a letter addressed to IGP’s senior project development manager, Will Threlfall, South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage expressed serious concern about the developer’s approach. She emphasised that while government policy encourages voluntary agreements during the DCO process, clauses that restrict landowners’ rights to object appear excessive and potentially coercive.
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Many constituents have reported feeling pressured into accepting agreements they otherwise might refuse. MP Savage highlighted fears that such conditions infringe upon freedom of speech and the right to engage openly in the planning process. The threat of compulsory land acquisition if voluntary deals fail has only deepened local anxiety.
The campaign group Stop Lime Down, representing villagers near the project site, condemned the offer. Sir Mike Pitt, a group spokesperson, labelled the payments a disturbing tactic for silencing dissenters. He warned that approval of the solar park would bring industrial-scale development spanning over 2,000 acres, permanently altering the rural landscape for the next 60 years.
Responding to the criticism, an Island Green Power spokesperson acknowledged an error in the letter’s wording regarding objection rights, explaining that the clause was not part of their standard agreements. They confirmed that corrected letters would be sent and insisted that landowners remain free to voice objections regardless of any financial agreements.
The Lime Down Solar Park Limited subsidiary aims to build a 500 MW solar farm north of the M4 near Malmesbury, capable of powering approximately 115,000 homes. The project would cover a vast area of four miles by two miles, featuring solar panels standing 4.5 metres tall—the height of a double-decker bus—and include several large battery storage facilities.
A new 20 km cable connected to the Melksham substation would run through a 60-metre-wide corridor beneath the M4 and Bristol-to-London railway.
Local Wiltshire councillors have criticised the plans for their scale and industrial character, dubbing it a “solar factory.” Due to its size, the project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), with the final planning decision resting with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.
IGP submitted its planning application to the Planning Inspectorate in late September. The Inspectorate will decide this week whether to accept the application for examination—a process expected to take over a year before any construction can commence.
The application will undergo stages including:
- Pre-examination: appointment of inspectors and public registration to comment, lasting about three months.
- Examination: detailed review and questioning lasting up to six months, where registered parties can contribute.
- Recommendation: a report to the Secretary of State prepared within three months of the examination’s end.
- Decision: the Secretary of State issues a final decision within three months, which may be subject to High Court judicial review.
Stop Lime Down has released a map detailing the extensive footprint of the proposed solar park across the Cotswolds villages of Sherston, Corston, Hullavington, and Stanton St Quintin, underscoring community concerns over the scale of the development.