Green Belt Threatened AGAIN.
Urgent Action Needed

The Issue

SAY NO TO INDUSTRIAL SCALE SOLAR FARMS

ON WIRRAL’S PRECIOUS GREEN BELT

SIGN PETITION HERE

Not content with trying to concrete over our precious Green Belt with housing, 

Developers are now eyeing up Wirral’s Green Belt to enable them to maximise their profits via Industrial Scale Solar Farms. Whilst we support the use of solar power to help the UK achieve its net zero targets, we believe they should be in the right places, i.e. on carparks, supermarkets, factories, municipal buildings, private family homes, etc. NOT on productive farmland, with important, supposedly protected landscape and ecological value.

We are calling on Wirral Borough Council to 

SAY NO TO INDUSTRIAL SOLAR FARMS ON WIRRAL'S GREEN BELT 

and use all their powers to direct solar panels / farms to be installed on Brownfield land, as required by Wirral’s Adopted Local Plan. 

Currently, there is a proposed Solar Farm in the pipeline which would 

consume 70 acres of green belt land at Rose Cottage, Station Road, Thurstaston:

SAVE THURSTASTON’S ICONIC VIEWS - 

Stop the industrialisation of Wirral’s most treasured beauty spot!

Why this matters to you....

Even if you don’t live in Thurstaston you’ve likely enjoyed a walk along the Wirral Way, taken in the breath-taking views from Thurstaston Hill or visited 

the Country Park with family and friends. 

These are the views that define the Wirral and attract over 250,000 visitors every year.

Now imagine those iconic, much loved views destroyed by

 70 acres of industrial solar panels.

What’s at stake....

Chinese company CHINT Solar and the Landowner want to transform productive, protected Thurstaston Green Belt farmland into an industrial solar installation: 

it’s a threat to everything that makes this area so special.

•⁠  ⁠3.5 metre high solar panels covering an area equivalent to 40 football pitches

•⁠  ⁠Substations, transformers, constant noise from cooling fans

•⁠  ⁠2.5 metre security fences severing access to ancient wildlife corridors, 

forage and roosting opportunities

•⁠  ⁠CCTV cameras and security lighting resulting in permanent surveillance and light pollution, causing significant disturbance for nocturnal animals

•⁠  ⁠⁠Destruction of habitat for sensitive and protected local and migrating wildlife

•⁠  ⁠Disruption, danger and damage on local roads from heavy loads and machinery

The Result: Industrialisation of an irreplaceable, protected landscape.

We Must Act Now

CHINT Solar have already submitted a Screening Request for a ‘Proposed Solar PV Development’ to Wirral Council, arguing an onerous and lengthy Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is unnecessary. WGSA, ITPAS and others objected to the truncating of the evidence process, and the Council has confirmed a full EIA IS required.  Once the EIA has been completed a full Planning Application will likely be submitted.

There is a better way - Leading Conservation groups like CPRE – The Countryside Charity (formerly known as Campaign to Protect Rural England) have identified the solution: rooftop solar, brownfield sites and previously developed land (PDL).

We do not need to sacrifice our most precious landscapes when alternatives exist.

If approved in this unique site,

it would set a terrible precedent and

open the floodgates for solar farms across Wirral.

SIGN PETITION HERE

What We Are Asking -

Sign this petition to tell Wirral Council to:

•⁠  ⁠REJECT the Rose Cottage (Thurstaston) Solar Farm application

•⁠  ⁠PROTECT our Area of Special Landscape Value (SLV) and the  

                                                              Thurstaston SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest)

•⁠  ⁠DEMAND renewable energy on brownfield sites, in line with Wirral’s Adopted Local Plan

•⁠  ⁠PRESERVE Thurstaston and our treasured landscape for future generations to enjoy

•⁠  ⁠SAY NO TO ALL INDUSTRIAL SOLAR FARMS ON ALL OF WIRRAL’S GREENBELT

Community Action does carry ‘weight’ as shown before.  An Action Plan is coming but meanwhile please express your thoughts to Friends, Councillors and MPs.