Council leader vows to block Lincolnshire solar farms
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- Sean Matthews – the Reform council leader of Lincolnshire, said he will lie down in front of bulldozers to block the construction of giant solar farms, even offering to be arrested, after taking office in May.
- Natalie Oliver – a Reform councillor and local business owner, pledged to spend nights in jail alongside Matthews, stating she will do anything for residents and is 100% committed to opposing the solar projects.
- Ed Miliband – the UK energy secretary, has approved six large‑scale solar farms in Lincolnshire – the most of any county – and pledged to tackle “blockers” to accelerate the nation’s clean‑energy transition.
- Tillbridge Solar – the largest approved solar development in Lincolnshire, covering about 1,400 hectares (3,460 acres) with thousands of 3.5‑metre‑high tracking panels, is slated to be fenced for 40‑60 years and will connect to the National Grid at the former Cottam coal site.
- 7000 Acres – a resident group representing over 30 villages, warned that the solar farms will destroy food‑producing land, create noise, and turn the countryside into a power plant, and they feel “dumped on” by the planning process.
Why it matters: The protest highlights a clash between the government’s drive to add six new megawatt‑scale solar farms – the most in any UK county – and local residents who fear loss of farmland, noise, and disruption to rural life, potentially eroding public support for the clean‑energy agenda.
