In 2022 Elgin Energy Esco Ltd submitted a plan to create a 49.9 megawatt (MW) solar farm on 154 acres of land at Foxholes Farm situated a mile to the east of Titchmarsh.

Foxholes Farm is managed by a tenant farmer and is all arable farm land never previously developed. It is situated off part of the old Roman Road between Titchmarsh and Clopton.

The Merchant Venturers who own the land also own much of the land in this area. For more information go to:

https://www.merchantventurers.com/

Elgin Energy Esco Ltd website:

https://www.elgin-energy.com/

Under current legislation, Solar Farms producing 50MW and above are defined as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and go through a more rigorous and lengthy approval process. It is therefore common practise within the industry to keep the initial size of the project below 50MW. The Foxholes Farm project is 49.9MW. Once established, however, the farm can be expanded without the rigorous approval process. The plan above shows areas where the developers have already identified additional farmland for expanding the project.

Objections

STAUNCH Campaign Official Objection to the Solar Farm plans

STAUNCH are in principle in favour of renewable energy. However, we believe that all such schemes should be considered on the basis that they appropriate and proportionate for the environments in which they are intended to be sited.

As part of our campaign, STAUNCH will be submitting a comprehensive objection to the Solar Farm planning application. This has taken many hours of diligent research and fact finding. Until this is ready below is our holding objection.

Click here to read the Solar Farm Holding Objection >>

It contains these main areas for concern:

• Best and Most Versatile Land (BMV)
• Visual Amenity
• Access
• Ecology
• Archaeology
• Cumulative Impact of 3 applications around Titchmarsh.

The closing date for this application is 4^th Feb 23

If you haven’t done so already, please consider submitting an objection. Simply email your objection to this address: planning.ENC@northnorthants.gov.uk. Please ensure the application reference number NE/22/01411/FUL is included in the subject line of your email and that your email contains your contact name and address in order to be accepted.

Alternatively, click on the links below to jump into the North Northants Planning portal. Here you can see the other objections (Public Comments) that have already been submitted and add one of your own by using the “Make a Comment” button.

Link to Solar Farm NE/22/01411/FUL proposal on North Northants Planning Portal

We can win this but numbers are important and we need as many people as possible to submit an objection. The more people the better. We know it must seem like a bind – especially with so many other things going on in the world right now – but once the land around Titchmarsh has been gobbled up, there’s no bringing it back. If all 3 developments proceed Titchmarsh will lose around 20% of its good agricultural farm land.

We must mount a defence of our village, our way of life, ensure we have enough good agricultural land to sustain ourselves and protect the Upper Nene Valley for future generations to enjoy.

A useful document in assisting you to raise your objections can be found

on the CPRE website. www.cpre.org.uk/resources/how-respond-to-planning-applications

Finally, let your local politicians know your thoughts and concerns directly. Below are the most relevant contact details:

Councillor David Brackenbury (Thrapston Ward and Chair of EAP Planning Policy)
David.brackenbury@northnorthants.gov.uk

Councillor Wendy Brackenbury (Thrapston Ward)
Wendy.brackenbury@northnorthants.gov.uk

Councillor Geoff Shacklock (Thrapston Ward)
Geoff.shacklock@northnorthants.gov.uk

Jason Smithers (Leader of North Northants Council)
Jason.smithers@northnorthants.gov.uk

Tom Pursglove MP – House of Commons London SW1A 0AA
Tom.pursglove.mp@parliament.uk

Contact details for all our 78 elected North Northants Councillors can be found at https://northnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex

If you require any other information or assistance, then please contact us at .