We're raising funds to help us engage expert professional representation at the inquiry in October 2022, which will hear Kronos’s appeal against the local council’s refusal of their 185 acre solar farm in the last remaining green fields around Alfreton.

We need the support of legal professionals who can help us turn our real concerns into arguments of such substance that they cannot be ignored. We have to pull together as a local community in order to save our countryside. Please give whatever you can, all donations will help make a difference.

Why are we doing this?

German Company Kronos Solar have submitted two planning applications to build solar farms covering in excess of 300 acres of our beautiful rural landscape between Alfreton, Shirland, South Wingfield and Oakerthorpe .

We, along with many other concerned locals, believe that the Kronos applications raise serious concerns and we need to engage with experts to analyse these, as well as other arguments in order to stop this obscenely large and highly inappropriate development. We need to strengthen our argument with science and facts so we can formulate alternative responsible renewable energy solutions with which to lobby local and national government.

Following a total lack of awareness within the local community about the application, we took it upon ourselves as concerned locals to set up the Save Our Countryside Action Group. We've already distributed over 4,000 leaflets to raise awareness and our Facebook Group now has over 1,300 members, but we need to do more.

There are over 600 objections and many local MPs and Councillors have spoken out against the applications in support of our efforts to safeguard the local environment.

If you haven't already objected we would strongly urge you to do so now.

Our local countryside is steeped in a rich history from DH Lawrence to Crich Stand, to Wingfield Manor and the Peacock (Pesto). It's footpaths have been walked by generations over hundreds of years including local people and visitors from afar, not to mention our four-legged friends. Our local countryside nurtures a vast array of wildlife and flora enabling it to flourish.

The proposed solar farm will cover our beautiful landscape with solar panels as far as the eye can see, with masses of security fencing and CCTV. There are potential risks not only to the flora and fauna on this agricultural land, but also to the local community, including fire, electro-magnetic radiation and glint & glare.

Help save our countryside from this totally inappropriate development and make a donation to fund expert opinion and legal advice to fight these applications for the local community. Any funds remaining at the end of our campaign will be donated to Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to help preserve local wildlife that thrives in this area.

A big thank you from all of us at the Save Our Countryside Action Group and the local community.

Details to Object:

Alfreton Ref: AVA/2020/1224

Online: https://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/planning

Shirland Ref: 20/01282/FL

https://planapps-online.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk/online-applications