Family’s anguish over plans for solar farm scheme on half their land

A FAMILY has said they could lose almost half their farm – an area almost 12 times as large as Wembley Stadium – to a solar energy scheme.
Robert and Emma Sturdy, who live on the 280-acre Eden Farm near Old Malton, with their children Sebastian and Lizzie, are launching a campaign to save the 130 acres earmarked for the project for more than 90,000 solar panels.

Yorkshire-based Harmony Energy is preparing to submit a proposal to Ryedale District Council to build a solar farm with battery energy storage on land to the north of the A64 near Old Malton.

The development would see the installation of free-standing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on agricultural land, with the capacity to generate up to 50MW of low carbon electricity. This power which would feed into the local electricity network and supply energy for the equivalent of over 14,000 local homes.

However, Robert, the third generation of his family to farm in Old Malton, said: “We’ve had no direct consultation with our landlord about the impact on our livelihood – just a conversation with their agent and then a leaflet through the door at the same time as all our neighbours.
“It’s like a bad dream; that instead of opening curtains and looking out onto fields of corn or cattle grazing there could be thousands of glaring solar panels.”

Emma said: “I’m not from a farming family but like so many other people in the area I can appreciate its beauty. It’s not called Eden Farm for nothing – It truly is a slice of heaven.”