Lincolnshire councils take Government to court over UK's biggest solar farm

Thousands of acres of farmland south of Lincoln could be transformed into the UK's largest solar farm. Two local councils say the Government waved the plans through without properly weighing the impact on villages, countryside, and agricultural land, and they are going to court to fight it.

Lincolnshire County Council and North Kesteven District Council have launched a joint judicial review against the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who approved the Springwell Solar Farm on 8 April this year.

The farm would cover 1,280 hectares of land near Scopwick, Metheringham, and Navenby, in the stretch of countryside between Lincoln and Sleaford. That is roughly 1,700 football pitches. Around 580 of those hectares are classed as Best and Most Versatile agricultural land, the most productive grades of farmland. The site would also include a large battery storage facility. The developers, EDF Power Solutions and Luminous Energy, say it would generate enough electricity to power around 180,000 homes a year.

The project was approved following a public inquiry by the Planning Inspectorate. Ministers said it would help "bring down bills for good." The Government said it could not comment on the prospect of a legal challenge as it is "a live planning case."

Both councils objected before the decision was made but were overruled. They say the approval was flawed from the start. Their legal challenge claims the Secretary of State did not follow proper process, failed to properly assess the impact on local villages and landscapes, and did not take full account of how much agricultural land across Lincolnshire is already being lost to similar large-scale energy projects. Local campaigners had also raised concerns about the safety of the lithium-ion batteries in the storage facility.

North Kesteven's council leader, Richard Wright, said legal advice had confirmed their view that the decision was flawed. Lincolnshire County Council leader Sean Matthews said: "Following legal advice and a careful consideration of the potential costs and impact, we believe we may have grounds to challenge this decision."

The legal challenge has the backing of Conservative MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, Dr Caroline Johnson. "My constituents are very clear that they do not wish to have large-scale ground-mounted solar farms blighting our countryside and impacting our food security," she said.

If the councils lose, the case could cost taxpayers up to £500,000. The court must first decide whether there are sufficient grounds to proceed to a full hearing.