Devon CPRE - The launch of the 'Say NO to Beacon Solar' campaign

Devon CPRE, the environmental campaign charity, has issued a battle call to supporters to sign and share an online petition against what would be one of Europe’s largest solar arrays on more than 4 square miles of farmland near Holsworthy. The charity is on a mission to gather one million signatures and is urging everyone to throw their weight behind its campaign to fend off the massive development proposed for Holsworthy Beacon. Sign and share the petition at www.devoncpre.org.uk Devon CPRE says there’s no need to cover another 2,700 acres of Devon farmland in solar panels, because the number of renewable projects queuing for connection to the grid is already more than three times the government’s Clean Power target for 2030. Data from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) shows renewable projects totalling 760GW awaiting grid connection, way above the government’s 2030 renewables target of 150 - 225GW. In other words, the Devon mega solar farm is surplus to requirement and unsustainable, says the charity. At a packed meeting in Holsworthy attended by some 300 people, Devon CPRE Chairman Steve Crowther outlined the scale of the threat if the Beacon Solar scheme, that’s currently in the pre-application phase, progresses to a planning application. Devon CPRE has the backing of the national charity CPRE, Torridge & Tavistock MP Sir Geoffrey Cox and a campaign group formed by local residents.