By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter
Nottinghamshire councillors have called for no solar farms to be built on rural land near the site of a new renewable energy power station.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet met today (December 19) to discuss updates on the STEP Fusion project.
The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) scheme will lead to a clean, renewable energy plant on the site of the former West Burton A power station, near Retford.
Once built, the pioneering project, led by Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS), will recreate the same clean energy process which powers the sun.
The meeting also discussed a draft vision, by consultants Areli, of the ‘Trent Clean Energy Supercluster’- a wider initiative based on redeveloping the former power stations at West Burton, Cottam and High Marnham.
This would see the creation of three renewable energy sites in Bassetlaw, bringing in greater employment and business opportunities to the area and establishing the county as a frontrunner for renewable energy.
But some councillors pointed infrastructure problems green energy can produce for rural areas like Bassetlaw.
Councillor Tracey Taylor (Con), said: “I’ve got 16 rural villages, four hamlets, very few job opportunities – to have something like this so close that children can aspire to [work at] and stay closer to home, is absolutely huge.
“The other challenge in my divisional area, which is a lot of farming communities are the challenges we’ve had with solar [farms].
“All green and renewable energy is to be welcomed but we have our views on protecting our own agricultural land.”
Cllr Taylor welcomed the fact the STEP Fusion project, included in the wider ‘supercluster’ initiative, would be built on brownfield land in the district.
Responding to Cllr Taylor’s comments, Cllr Keith Girling (Con) said: “The last thing we need to happen is a solar farm be granted somewhere which will stifle the jobs and the growth of that cluster- its about protecting that area to maximise the potential there.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service following the meeting, Cllr Girling said he was concerned the county already has “big swathes of solar farms”.
He said: “What we’re worried about is solar farms being granted in that area and reducing what we can actually achieve there.
“What we’re saying is we’re doing our bit for clean energy- the last thing we want to do is end up with lots of solar farms.”
He questioned “how can turning grass into glass be green?” and said energy farms could hinder the potential for the STEP and the Supercluster plans.
Cllr Girling added the council has been talking to East Midlands Mayor, Claire Ward (Lab), to protect rural space from extensive green development.
He said: “[We have said] the mayor’s got to use her influence to try protect this area from development- if you don’t you’re potentially stifling billions of pounds of development.
“Solar farms don’t create jobs- what we’re trying to do is create jobs in an area based around green energy.”
STEP is due to bring the world’s first prototype fusion energy plant into commission by 2040.
It is the project’s aim to have a fully-evolved design and the approval to build by 2032.
This Monday (December 16), the East Midlands Combined Authority signed off £3 million to go towards the delivery of the Trent Clean Energy Supercluster.
It is projected that the STEP programme, included in the wider Trent Clean Energy Supercluster initiative, will create thousands of jobs across the three locations.
