Thousands of acres in Staffordshire earmarked for solar farms as council calls for better planning

Staffordshire County Council has written to the Government to call for renewable energy and battery energy storage systems (BESS) to be better planned at a national and regional level following an influx of applications across the area in recent years.

Staffordshire residents are also being urged to back a county-wide plan for solar power as part of the Stop the Solar Land Grab campaign. Councillor Andrew Mynors, cabinet member for connectivity, said at a meeting last year that some Staffordshire farmers are being called “constantly” with requests to buy their land for renewable energy developments.

At the latest full council meeting, a massive development approved for land in the Tamworth area more than two years ago sparked questions about measures to protect communities. Councillor Tracey Dougherty asked: “What actions did Staffordshire County Council councillors take to strengthen fire safety requirements and operator accountability for the 55-hectare [135.9-acre] Tamworth solar farm, particularly given public concerns about lithium-ion storage, emergency access, and environmental risk?

“I stand today on behalf of residents, alongside my elected Tamworth ward county councillors, who feel our voices were not heard during the original process. Given the issues around protecting farmland, ecological sensitivities and listed heritage assets as well as gaps in fire safety consultation, can the cabinet member explain what further measures have been taken to protect communities in cases like this, so lessons learned from Amington Moors are applied consistently across Staffordshire?”

Councillor Mynors responded: “Since our election last in May, the Tamworth ward Staffordshire County Councillors have met regularly with residents to hear their concerns; Tamworth Borough Council officers and members were also present at many of these meetings. Many residents, including those living beyond the immediate Amington Moors area, have told us that they were not fully aware of the scale of the site or the broader implications of the development.

“Although the planning decision for the 55‑hectare Tamworth solar farm was made approximately two and a half years before we were elected, we began making enquiries as soon as we took office. We engaged with Tamworth Borough Council Planning, Staffordshire County Council Planning, National Grid, and the developer’s UK representatives to seek clarification on matters including fire safety, emergency access and lines of accountability. We were advised that no battery storage is proposed for this site.

“Our enquiries also led to Tamworth Borough Council opening dialogue with the fire service regarding the development, which had not been included within the original planning submission. We recognise that many technical matters relating to the development are addressed within the planning application.

“However, residents have continued to express concerns about the choice of location, particularly the use of productive agricultural land, and have asked why alternative options, such as brownfield sites or rooftop installations, were not utilised in preference to this highly valued area. Residents have also raised questions regarding protected species, wider ecological sensitivities, and the proximity of the site to listed heritage assets within the Amington Hall Conservation Area.

“We continue to raise these matters with the relevant organisations and to seek clear information, appropriate safeguards, and full transparency on the issues residents have identified.”

Councillor Mynors also highlighted solar farm plans in other parts of Staffordshire, including facilities earmarked for land at Drointon Lane, Grindley, in Stafford Borough. He said: “There are 5,000 acres planned for solar farms across Staffordshire and it’s affecting all our communities.

“A lot of discussion has been on farms and the farming community. We rely on farming in Staffordshire and all of the farmers we have spoken to have felt a great duress of the pressure they are having from multinational companies coming to Staffordshire.

“We wrote a letter in January to MPs and we got something back from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero from [Minister of State for Energy] Michael Shanks. It’s ongoing, it’s very difficult and it’s a battle that Staffordshire and rural communities are taking to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.”

For more information on the Stop the Solar Land Grab campaign, visit https://letstalk.staffordshire.gov.uk/solar-land.