Owners of historic Blankney Estate face backlash over plans to build giant solar farm

Locals reveal ‘huge distress’ over EDF deal to convert 7 sq miles of Lincolnshire land for energy production

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The owners of the historic Blankney Estate in Lincolnshire are facing a furious backlash after announcing plans to turn a third of it into one of the UK’s biggest solar farms.
The Parker family, which owns 14,000 acres of prime arable land in Lincolnshire, have struck a deal with EDF, France’s state-owned energy company, and solar developers Luminous Energy. They plan to cover seven square miles of farmland in solar panels – an area 10 times greater than London’s Hyde Park.
The scheme would affect 10 local villages and thousands of residents – but generate an estimated £5m annual income for the Parkers.
Locals say the loss of 4,500 acres of prime farmland and the impact on communities is far too high a price to pay for the green energy the project would provide.
Colin Davie, a Lincolnshire county councillor whose brief includes renewable energy developments, said he was appalled: “We are the breadbasket of England but this development will destroy some of the county’s best and most versatile land.”
Marc Williams, chairman of the parish council in the nearby village of Scopwick, said: “This plan is causing huge distress. It’s driving down property prices and making homes unsellable.”
Plans for the project have been submitted following Ed Miliband’s decision to offer blanket approval for a series of massive solar farms on farmland across eastern England. Those decisions have emboldened developers, with many more applications expected.
Mr Davie said: “Ed Miliband is pushing his wildly ambitious net zero plans with no thought for the impacts these developments will have on local people. He risks a political backlash at every level from local councils to national elections.”
Blankney Estate, which was recorded in the Domesday Book, was once held by the Earls of Londesborough and is one of the largest landholdings in England’s premier farming county. The estate produces thousands of tons of crops for the UK food chain every year.
Details of the proposed Springwell Solar Farm on the estate were revealed in a planning application just lodged with the UK’s planning inspectorate. The documents show that the solar farm would have a capacity of 800 megawatts (MW) – similar to that of one of the UK’s current nuclear power stations.It would, however, only produce power during daylight hours.
Matthew Boulton, EDF’s director of Solar, said in a leaflet sent to local people that such developments were essential to combat climate change: “Springwell Solar Farm would make an important contribution to the UK’s future energy network by producing clean, secure energy.”
In the village of Blankney itself, locals were opposed to the scheme but unwilling to speak out publicly because the estate owns most of the houses and employs many of those living there.
One said: “I think this plan is awful but we are tenants of the estate so we can’t say anything.”
Mr Williams, of Scopwick, helps run the Springwell Solar Action protest group. He said: “Up to 10 villages and many homes will see their rural landscapes industrialised. Some properties will be almost surrounded by solar panels.”
Such projects are driven largely by economics. Solar farms are effectively subsidised by charges added to consumer bills, meaning that the income they will generate is guaranteed. This allows developers to offer landowners far more than they could earn from farming.
Farming typically generates profits of, at best, a few hundred pounds per acre while solar farms can generate £1,000 to £1,200 per acre and will do so steadily for decades, with the income linked to inflation. This suggests Blankney could earn up to £5m a year from the Springwell Solar Farm.
For Blankney Estates and its lead directors, including brothers Michael and Richard Parker, and Richard’s wife, Julia, such an income boost may be appealing. Accounts for the year to April 2023 show the estate made a profit of £2.6m but had creditors due within one year totalling £15m and longer term debts totalling £16m.
The report said the estate had been hit hard over several years by inflation, Brexit and the Ukraine conflict, plus cuts in subsidy.
Directors wrote: “The unprecedented rise in input to cost for the business took its toll on overall performance. The basic payments scheme subsidy reductions continue to make the business even more dependent on market conditions.”
The Parkers declined to comment.
Adrian Lott, the chief executive of Parker Strategic Land, who is a cousin of Michael and Richard and was previously associated with Blankney, said he was no longer involved but expressed surprise at the project.
He said: “The scale of this proposal is something of a surprise especially covering good quality farmland. I am sure my ancestors would be shocked by the sheer scale and the impact this will have on the surrounding villages and countryside.”
A spokesman for EDF Renewables UK said: “Following extensive consultation and engagement with the community resulting in significant changes to our proposals, the Springwell Solar Farm Development Consent Order application was submitted this week.
“The Planning Inspectorate will decide by Dec 18 whether to accept the application for examination, at which point the details of our proposals will be published.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: “Solar is at the heart of our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and the Energy Secretary has consented nearly 2 gigawatts since July.
“Our plans to boost solar power do not risk the UK’s food security. The total area of agricultural land used for solar is very small and is often the lowest-grade quality for food production.
“Even in the most ambitious scenarios, solar would still occupy less than 1pc of the UK’s agricultural land, while bringing huge benefits for the British public and our energy security.”
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