By Paul Homewood
h/t Philip Bratby
Miliband approves huge solar farm being built by major Labour donor
The Telegraph reports:
Ed Miliband has been criticised after approving an application for a huge solar farm in Lincolnshire owned by millionaire Labour donor Dale Vince.
The Energy Secretary faces scrutiny after approving Heckington Fen Solar Park on Friday, which is owned by Mr Vince’s green energy business Ecotricity.
The decision has angered local residents and councillors, who have accused Mr Miliband of pandering to Mr Vince, who donated £5m to Labour in the run-up to the general election.
Colin Davie, executive councillor for environment, economy and planning at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We need to ask the question of the Secretary of State as to whether he has declared the nature of his relationship with Dale Vince, the applicant for this site and the Labour Party’s biggest donor.”
GB News also report that locals are furious:
Marc Williams, another Lincolnshire councillor, called the decision “disgraceful” and highlighted Mr Vince’s role as a Labour donor.
He said: “The only people these developments benefit are the people who are behind these businesses.”
Frances Innes, a resident of Navenby village, expressed alarm at the pace of development.
"This is so frightening on how many and how fast these applications are been put forward, these villages are just been swallowed up and suffocated. What is so frustrating is not been listened too," she said.
It has been estimated that Dale Vince has been paid as much as £100 million of subsidies for his wind farms. Now his new solar farm will
Heckington Fen is expected to generate 385 GWh a year, just 0.1% of the UK’s electricity, and its output will be much less in winter when the country actually needs it. Most of the time, the 100,000 homes Vince claims it could power would have to rely entirely on gas power stations.
Based on current market prices, Vince will earn another £6 million a year in subsidies for this new solar farm.