Help Us Save Our Farmland from Industrial Solar Development

Help Save Our Farmland from Industrial Sized Solar Development

We are residents of Haxted and the surrounding area. A developer has proposed an industrial-sized solar site covering 220 acres of green belt and farmland between Edenbridge and Lingfield.

To put that in perspective, it would be larger than the whole of Lingfield by area (220 acres vs 190 acres).

This development would surround homes, cut across ancient floodplains, and put lanes, villages and farmland under long-term pressure.

We are raising funds to commission independent environmental and planning reports to formally challenge the proposal when the application is submitted in the coming weeks.

Why this matters

Whilst we support renewable energy, this proposal is about profits, not sustainability. The wealthy landowner of Haxted Farm, is not part of the local community, will be enriched while the local community suffer the consequences.

It threatens farmland that has grown crops for generations which supports food production, livestock and carbon capture. We cannot risk removing valuable farmland from production threatening local food security and our farming community.

The site lies on a known floodplain, already prone to regular, sometimes severe, winter flooding. Adding solar panels, access roads, and concrete bases across this land could tip the delicate balance. Surface water could be displaced into homes, lanes, and rivers, not just on Haxted Road/Lingfield Common Road, but downstream into Edenbridge and beyond.

The proposed development would result in 20+ HGVs per day travelling from Edenbridge down Haxted Road to the site for up to two years. It would disrupt daily life, delay emergency services, and create long-term road safety issues on fragile country lanes. It will potentially lead to knock-on effects on surrounding roads through Marsh Green and Dormansland.

It risks devastating local wildlife habitats, including deer, owls, bats, and thousands of birds that depend on these fields and hedgerows. Installation of security fencing would fragment wildlife corridors and restrict the movement of larger mammals across the landscape.

The visual impact would permanently alter the character of our rural landscape. Installing rows of industrial solar panels, security fencing, bright security lighting, and associated infrastructure would industrialise an open, agricultural landscape.

The land targeted for this development is cherished by walkers, cyclists, and countryside lovers who come to enjoy its open fields and historic landscape. The developer's proposal would replace these rolling green views with a sea of steel, fencing, and industrial solar panels stretching to the horizon. It would be an irreversible scar on our rural community.

Hidden Harm - What They Don't Tell You

While this proposal is being marketed as a green energy project, the truth is more complicated and uncomfortable. Installation on this scale involves industrial foundations, compaction, and soil disturbance. Once installed, these panels shed toxic materials like zinc and cadmium. Over time these substances can leach into the land and water, threatening surrounding farmland and wildlife. This land currently grows crops. It feeds livestock. And it absorbs carbon naturally. Once it's covered in panels, access is lost, soil degrades and the damage is long-term.

This land currently feeds livestock, grows crops, and stores carbon naturally. Once it’s covered in panels, that benefit is lost and the damage is long-term.

What your donations will fund

We are raising £20,000 to commission:

• A Flood Risk Assessment

• A Traffic and Access Study

• A Soil Classification Report (to confirm food-producing value)

• A Heritage Impact Assessment

• An Ecology and Biodiversity Survey

These are essential to inform the community’s formal objection — and ensure the council has the right evidence when making their decision.

This isn’t about opposing solar

We support renewable energy. But this isn’t about sustainability. It’s about profit. And it sets a dangerous precedent for industrialising green-belt and farmland all over the UK.

Alternatives include:

• Brownfield sites and former industrial land

• Commercial and industrial rooftops

• Lower-grade agricultural land (grades 3b, 4, and 5)

• Co-location with existing infrastructure such as reservoirs or alongside motorways

We want to ensure that the countryside is protected for future generations and that green energy is pursued in a way that does not sacrifice the environment to save it.

Accountability

This campaign is entirely community-led. All funds will go directly toward expert assessments, legal input, and community materials.

Receipts and breakdowns will be available on request. This is a grassroots effort.

Please support us

Whether you can give £5, £25 or more, your donation helps us protect this land, our roads, our wildlife and our shared future.

Share this campaign with neighbours, friends and family especially those who use these roads or enjoy the surrounding countryside.

Visit our website to learn more and find out how to object to the planning application:

www.haxtedmeadunited.com