This weekend, residents concerned about the impact of large solar farm projects will take to the Wiltshire countryside as part of the National Community Walk, where 25 groups across the UK will walk locally to defend Britain’s natural landscapes.
Stop Lime Down will lead a route around Malmesbury, raising awareness about the proposed 2,220-acre solar farm spanning six sites near Hullavington, Stanton St Quintin, Sherston, and Luckington. Meanwhile, in the small National Trust village of Coleshill near Highworth, residents plan to protest the construction of a 175-acre solar power installation featuring 93,000 panels and a substantial battery storage facility equivalent in size to 20 shipping containers.
Both groups emphasize they support solar energy in principle but are concerned about the industrial scale and environmental impact of these massive developments.
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Stop Lime Down’s 90-minute walk will start at Ladyswood Stud near Sherston at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 8. Their route follows the historic Fosse Way Roman road, traversing the landscapes threatened by the proposed Lime Down Solar Park.
Simultaneously, Coleshill protestors will assemble at Coleshill Green at 10 a.m. to voice opposition to the Old Hayes Solar Farm, slated for agricultural land on the Wiltshire/Oxfordshire border, adjacent to the River Cole floodplain and close to the National Trust’s Coleshill Park.
To coordinate efforts, Coleshill Parish Council has established the Coleshill Solar Focus Group, aiming to preserve the village’s rural environment from industrial-scale solar development.