Block East Pye Solar protestor, Selina Westcott, to spread awareness with walk-and-ride event

A protester is hoping people will join her as she steps up her campaign against plans to build one of the UK’s biggest solar farms in Norfolk.

Selina Westcott, part of the action group Block East Pye Solar, has organised a walk-and-ride event in Great Moulton on Sunday.

Energy firm Island Green Power has submitted proposals to cover 2,700 acres of land – impacting several villages close to Long Stratton, including Hempnall and Great Moulton – with solar panels.

The 57-year-old horse rider said she hopes the event, which is open to walkers, dog walkers and fellow riders, will help people to understand the magnitude of the scheme.

“I live near Diss, so this is not in my backyard, but I was astonished that I did not know about this and very few people I spoke to in the area did either,” she said.

“Due to its size, a decision on whether this massive project can go ahead will rest with Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy and net zero, rather than local councils. That feels so wrong to me.”

Norfolk’s solar stock could be set to increase by 17,000 acres – equivalent to almost 10,000 football pitches – under proposals for five different solar farms across the county.

Ms Westcott feels people living near to the sites in question need to be listened to – before large swathes of countryside become home to metal, cables and storage facilities.

“I think it is important for people to become more aware of schemes like the East Pye one, so they can make an informed choice,” she said.

“Huge developments, such as this one, stand to impact our lives, businesses, environment and tourism, so people need to be properly informed if they are put lodge an objection in time.”

The walk, which will start at The Fox and Hounds pub in Great Moulton at 11am, will follow a circular route around the village, before passing through Aslacton and Wacton.

Ms Westcott wants to point out potentially threatened sites, historic bridleways and buildings, which could be affected by a trio of battery energy storage systems, a National Grid sub-station and 4.5-metre-high solar panels.

“The East Pye scheme covers such a massive area,” she said. “Not only that, there are other schemes in between it that people are just not aware of.

“I feel passionately about how these kind of developments are going to change our region and I want to show people the extent of this.

“For example, these schemes constantly talk about the amount of energy that they stand to create, but we are never told about the carbon footprint of the panels, the majority of which come from China.

“This point seems to be completely taken out of the equation in our rush for net zero.”

Since the group started, other members have taken people on walks around Hempnall and Brooke to show them the sites and encourage people to get involved.

“Amongst the doom and gloom of all of this, there are some positives,” she added. “The walking groups have been growing. Having started with 40 people, we had more than 200 turn up for the last one, which was great.

“Like I said, I do not live in the area, but these schemes are getting closer to my door and it is great that more people are showing an interest.”