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Fall-out fury as 2 out of 4 councils refuse to back legal challenge to Sunnica solar farm
Sunnica ‘immensely pleased’ at green light for solar farm
200 people have raised nearly £14,000 to back the first steps in a legal challenge to the £600m Sunnica solar farm but Cambridgeshire County Council won’t be shelling out Council Taxpayers cash to mount their own Judicial Review.
“This is a decision that was made by the joint administration and took into account the previous legal advice, the importance of offering value for money to our taxpayers and the low likelihood of a challenge succeeding,” the county council said today in a brief statement.
It followed news that the community group Say No to Sunnica has raised enough cash to hire legal advisers ahead of a possible Judicial Review challenge.
Say No to Sunnica said: “Many thanks to those who pledged to get us to our first goal of getting our legal challenge underway. Your support is tremendous.
2020: Lucy Frazer and Matt Hancock submitting a joint response to Sunnica’s statutory consultation setting out our opposition to their proposals to build the largest solar farm in the UK.
“We can see from comments that many more in our communities and beyond still want to help the campaign and realise the Examining Authority’s recommendation to reject this scheme.
“Please continue sharing, telling others, and encouraging the continued financial support needed via our #CrowdJustice donation page – we cannot give up now!
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/say-no-to-sunnica-jr/
“Thank you again, the amazing early response is testimony to you valuing our agriculture, wildlife, and economy across our villages and towns.”
It will be the only legal challenge ‘in town’ after West Suffolk District Council joined Cambridgeshire County Council in deciding not to pursue a judicial review route.
It drew an angry response from Suffolk County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council who said they “remained committed to seeing through the legal challenge but were left in an impossible position to continue”.
Their joint statement said: “With West Suffolk Council and Cambridgeshire County Council abandoning the process, the cost of legal fees for the two remaining councils versus the likely financial return in a successful outcome was no longer a justifiable use of public funds.
Say No to Sunnica has campaigned for years and says ‘this ill-conceived Sunnica scheme was so very close to being rejected – we need to keep up the fight’
“Although both councils still had the desire to take things forward, the loss of two councils in the group action is damaging to the process as a whole.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, said: “We are deeply disappointed by West Suffolk Council and Cambridgeshire County Council choosing not to challenge the outrageous decision by the government to approve the Sunnica solar farm that spans our two counties.
“The Sunnica solar farm was approved by the new government against the recommendation of the independent Planning Inspectorate, who said it should be thrown out.
“In pulling out of this challenge, the two councils have demonstrated they are intent on serving the interests of the government over the interests of local communities and taxpayers.
Say No to Sunnica raises £11,000 of the £12,000 needed to mount solar farm legal challenge
“Those councils may suggest now going cap in hand to the developer but that has little chance of success.
“We must not forget that this is the worst scheme we have ever dealt with, and the developer has, to date, shown no interest in properly meeting our costs or properly engaging with local communities.”
Councillor Anna Bailey, Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “I am unbelievably disappointed with the decisions of Cambridgeshire County Council and West Suffolk Council to pull out of the Group action.
“They have expended public funds, the legal position has not changed, and yet they are now refusing to finish what we started. What a waste and what a let-down for local residents.
“Now local taxpayers are going to have to foot the bill for the costs to the councils of this unwanted, appalling development; Cambridgeshire County Council and West Suffolk Council have seriously let the side down by allowing that to stand without challenge.
Sunnica says it is “immensely pleased with the decision by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to grant development consent for Sunnica Energy Farm. Sunnica would make a nationally significant contribution towards the UK’s legal obligation to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and its ongoing energy security”.
“There is still a long way to go with this application and the developer still has a huge mountain to climb before they send in the diggers to the food production fields of rural East Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
“East Cambridgeshire District Council will work to do all it can to mitigate the impact of this development, secure local benefits and to stand by its residents.”
The joint statement added: “All four councils had earlier received a response from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Rt Hon. Ed Miliband MP, to their pre-action protocol letter in a bid to secure appropriate funding.
“That reply outlined the government’s position to defend their decision to grant permission for the Sunnica project. The councils maintain their position that the Secretary of State made a legal error but cannot now test the case in court.”
Sunnica says it is “immensely pleased with the decision by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to grant development consent for Sunnica Energy Farm. Sunnica would make a nationally significant contribution towards the UK’s legal obligation to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and its ongoing energy security”.
