Labour Ministers Clash Over Massive Solar Farm Project
The Labour Party is facing accusations of astonishing hypocrisy after it emerged that two senior ministers are actively opposing what would become Britain's largest solar farm, located near Energy Security Secretary Ed Miliband's constituency. The proposed Whitestone Solar Farm would cover almost 5,000 acres of Green Belt land between Doncaster and Rotherham in South Yorkshire.
Ministerial Opposition to Green Energy Project
Despite Mr Miliband's strong advocacy for renewable energy expansion as part of his Net Zero crusade, his South Yorkshire colleagues are fighting against the local project. Defence Secretary John Healey and Justice Minister Jake Richards, along with backbench Labour MP Sarah Champion, are all opposing the development that comes as close as 1.5 miles to Mr Miliband's Doncaster North constituency.
In a strongly worded letter to power firm Green Nation, Mr Healey declared: 'This is the wrong scale of scheme in the wrong place. Whitestone would cover almost 2,000 hectares of South Yorkshire countryside, entirely within the Green Belt... and change the character of historic villages.'
Mr Richards, MP for Rother Valley, echoed these concerns, calling for the 'enormous industrial-scale development across Green Belt land' to be scaled back as homes face being 'surrounded by solar panels.'
Local Residents Fight to Protect Historic Landscape
The proposed development has sparked significant local opposition, with residents forming the Save Our Greenbelt group twelve months ago. More than 10,000 objections have been lodged against the plan.
Billy and Wendy Collins, who have lived in the area for generations, are leading the fight against what they see as the destruction of their rural idyll. 'All the fields behind our house will be covered in 4m high solar panels if this plan is pushed through,' said Mr Collins, 75. 'We'll be looking at a huge clump of 2 sq miles of solar panels. It will ruin the countryside for local people.'
The couple highlighted the area's rich historical significance, noting that a Roman villa was unearthed on the land in 1986, along with coins and other artefacts. Conisbrough Parks, home to the listed Roman Villa and medieval deer hunting park, would be panelled over under the current plans.
Political Fallout and Planning Process
Shadow Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho condemned what she called a 'shocking display of double standards by Labour ministers', stating: 'Labour bigwigs are opposing solar farms in their back yards while carpeting the countryside with mega projects elsewhere. It is the height of hypocrisy.'
Green Nation is expected to apply for planning consent next spring, with Mr Miliband likely to make the final decision in 2027. A Labour spokesman responded to the controversy by insisting that all such projects 'are subject to rigorous planning processes, and the views of the local community must be taken into account.'
The Whitestone Solar Farm represents one of dozens of major renewable energy projects in development as part of Mr Miliband's ambitious plan to install enough solar panels to power up to nine million homes by 2030, a significant increase from the current two million homes powered by solar energy.
