Farmers and rural residents living in villages on Cornwall's green belt are angry that farm land is increasingly making way for solar farms - and they today took their fight to Cornwall Council.
A group of residents near Carland Cross on the A30 joined by members of the Farmers Movement Cornwall and Carland Action Group are converging on New County Hall in Truro to show their opposition to a plan by Downing Renewable Developments LLP to build a 125,000-panel solar farm near Fairpark, by the A30 between Carland Cross and Landrine.
We will keep you updated about this protest as it evolves in the blog below.
Farmers and residents protesting in Truro against plans for a solar farm to be built on farm land
'Cornish agriculture is important for food security in the UK'
Peter Lawrence, from Farmers Movement Cornwall, added: “Like tourism the nature of Cornwall agriculture is important for food security in the UK because of our mild climate and early cropping frost free land."
'It's about food security'
Another resident said: “For me it’s about food security. Once these farms are gone and lost to solar farm they’ll be lost. These solar farms are polluting the earth. They’re not good for the planet.”
They added: “People are waking up to these issues.”
Fresh food produced in Cornwall
Another resident said: “I like to buy fresh food that has been locally produced in Cornwall. I don’t go to supermarkets any more. I think this stupid green agenda is going to kill off our farming industry and not provide cheap electricity either."
Protesting for children's future
One resident whose family used to farm beef cattle on the Roseland said: “I am passionate about the land. I’m aware of it. I have two kids and this for them. This is for their future. “
Drivers supporting protestors
Around 12 people have turned up for the protest and they’re getting a lot of support from drivers, who are beeping as they pass by.
'We need to support our farmers'
A resident who lives outside Truro joined the protest to support farmers. She said: “We need to support our farmers. They are among the best in the world. Rather than import food from thousands of miles away we should support being self sufficient and our farmers.”
'We object to prime food producing land being used for solar farms deployment'
Peter Lawrence Co founder of Farmers Movement Cornwall said: “We are in the middle of a food security crisis. We only produce half of what we eat in this country. If we had a problem getting flood into the UK we could face starvation. It’s not solar panels and solar farms per se we are against. They have an urban application but we object to prime food producing land being used for solar farms deployment."
He added: “28 per cent of solar farms in the uk are in Cornwall. There is no need for more to be put on agricultural land.”
Having more solar farms 'makes no sense'
Farmer Mark Blake who farms near Carland Cross said there are already eight solar farms around where he is. He said having more makes no sense and could lead to many farmers losing their homes and living. He said: “We’re not nimbys. We farm here. We don’t want to see the best farming land be covered by solar panels when it is land that supports double crops. This should never reach the planning stage. It goes against government policy.”
Food security, farming jobs and protecting the countryside
Organisers of today's protest said they want to see the end of large solar farms planning applications.
They said: "Solar farms have got their place on brown field sites like what Cornwall Council have done with their car park. That's the perfect place for it.
"But not on agricultural land that produce this country's food. These solar farms are not just a threat to food security, farm land and farming jobs and will destroy the countryside, they are a threat to tourism too."
You can read our full story on the growing anger over the plans for a giant solar farm at Carland Cross here.
Dozen demands for farming
Here are some of the demands Farmers Movement Cornwall want from the Government to save their industry for the future.
- £6 billion in the annual agricultural budget
- A low interest loan scheme for agriculture
Reintroduce minimum commodity prices together with a deficiency payments scheme and ensure sufficient import tariffs and equivalent quality regulations on imports and free trade deals to protect UK production
Exempt all agricultural assets including farm machinery and diversification enterprises from Inheritance Tax
First principles of agricultural policy making must be:
i) achievement of maximum agricultural self sufficiency through the prioritisation of core food production.
ii) protection of the privately owned means of food production through the long term financial viability of family owned farms
iii) recognition and renewal of the social contract that exists between a farmer and the nation. The first duty of a farmer is to feed the nation and to be a trustworthy custodian of the land for future generations, in return the nation must fully protect and support the farmerStrengthened rights for tenant farmers
Business rates and planning easements need to be put in place by local authorities for farm shops to help promote retail diversification and improve local food resilience in order to challenge the monopoly power of the supermarkets
Ban loss leading sales tactics on all fresh produce
Stop any further commercial solar installations on farm land, deploy on rooftop and brown field sites only, reduce onshore wind to 5% of total installed generating capacity
Ban cloud seeding and the use of any other weather engineering technology in UK airspace
Lock farmland out of the planning system for house building
Demand honest and fully informed food labelling for consumers
For further details on each policy demand, visit https://farmersmovementcornwall.co.uk/the-dozen-demands-for-farming/
Big rally for farmers and food security on Saturday November 23
Next week's large rally in Truro will see farmers assemble at the city's livestock market at 12pm for a departure time of 12.30pm.
The procession will then move down Tregolls Road before making its way to the assembly point at Victoria Square. Those taking part are asked to go round the River St/Victoria Square/Kenwyn St/Little Castle St loop once or twice before assembling.
The organisers said: "I would like some of the older boys on 135’s to lead the Rally so that we are showing our respects to our elder generations who have worked in the industry before us but we’ll have to see who turns up on the day.
"Do not block any public vehicles/buses etc from going about their daily business, we have not applied for a road closure so the rally will have to keep moving at all times and of course give way to any emergency vehicles etc.
"Please ensure all vehicles are fully legal, roadworthy and insured."
Protest is first of three events
Today's small scale protest by the roundabout to Sainsbury' supermarket and New County Hall in Truro is the first of three such events planned in the city in the coming days.
A similar event will take place on Thursday November 21 which will coincide with Cornwall Council's strategic planning meeting.
A third protest, organised by the Farmers Movement Cornwall will see the farming community take to the streets in protests at what the farming communities in the county and beyond see as an attack on their way of living.
On its website the organisation said: "Along with other organisations such as Save British Farming and Get Fair About Farming we are calling for sweeping agricultural policy reforms which protect British food security, support our farmers and put the best interest of the nation before the self interest of globalist policy."
