The scale of the proposal
Plans for Rosefield Solar Farm were revealed in September 2023. This proposal, which includes battery storage (BESS), covers 2,471 acres on the Claydon Estate which has been the ancestral home of the Verney family for over 400 years in rural Buckinghamshire.
The scheme is backed by EDF Renewables UK (French owned EDF Group) and PS Renewables. It will be one of the largest solar farms in the UK to date and will be linked up to the new proposed National Grid Substation at East Claydon. National Grid are currently putting in plans to rebuild the substation and have informed us that no energy companies will be allowed to link to the substation until the new one has been built, circa 2031.
Imagine all this land covered with 3.5 metre high solar panels!
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Bigger than Buckingham.
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This is the fourth out of six Nationally Significant Infrustructure Project (NSIP) within a 3 mile radius of one another to go directly to the Secretary of State within the past 10 years.
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The area has already tolerated construction works by HS2 and East West Rail for the past few years.
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5 other known solar farms have been approved or have been submitted for planning within close proximity to Rosefield.
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To have any input the only time individuals or Parish Councils can have a say is at the initial consultation whether it’s for or against or feel it may need some adaptation. Buckinghamshire Council has a restricted input. Thereafter we have no say on the area in which we live and maintain.
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Residents are not obliged to see a report after the first consultation period.
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EDF and RS Renewables will receive virtually all the profits generated.
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No local homes would benefit directly.
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The Verneys who own the land will receive an estimated £1,000 per acre per year, over £2 million a year and potentially many millions in the long term.
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The loss of productive farmland at a time of increased need for food security: 46% of our food is imported and the amount of arable land is 14.8 million acres, the lowest since World War II.
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Solar’s dirty secret: the appalling carbon footprint to produce, ship and dispose of panels undermines solar’s green credentials.
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A collector compound with transformers and cables, with the boundary being up to 6m high.
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There will be 2.5m agricultural fencing, CCTV masts 5m high and security lighting to 3.5m around the solar panel fields.
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Rosefield will install its own substation 60,000sq m and 15m high! It's substation buildings will be 7m high. Substation fencing 3.4m high.
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A huge BESS facility in the fields at Botolph Claydon with over 296 shipping containers. We know more will be placed in a nearby field - numbers still to be given by Rosefield (500Mw). Each container 4.5m high.
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Firewalls around each transformer will be 9m high. Inverter stations will be 3.5m high.
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Solar panel arrays 3.5m high (4.5 in flood risk areas).
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Mitigation in the form of planting takes at least 10 years to be effective!
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The character and beauty of much of this countryside is the long lightly undulating open vista that does NOT need enhancing or require 'improved' footpaths or hedges along the length of Brentwood Jubilee Way to screen views as suggested by Rosefield! Why should we be subject to having our views obstructed when we currently have the best views across our countryside!
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Approximately 2.5 years of construction, including hundreds of HGV movements per day, affecting Botolph Claydon, East Claydon, Middle Claydon, Hogshaw, Steeple Claydon, Calvert, Twyford, Winslow, Buckingham and Quainton.
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AIL's (Abnormal Indivisible loads) – measuring over 2.9m wide and 18.65m length will travel to the site North, via A421, A413, High Street (Winslow) Vicarage Road and East Claydon.
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There will be up to 600 staff on site per day. Working days are considered as being 7am-7pm Monday to Friday and 7am – noon on Saturdays.
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We need to remind ourselves that as well as the traffic of HS2 and East West Rail, there will also be even more traffic with the new substation and the Statera BESS facility around Winslow / Granborough / East Claydon.
