Mayor considers judicial review into solar farm

The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire says she is considering launching a judicial review after the government approved plans to build the UK's largest solar farm in the county.

Dame Andrea Jenkyns said she was "deeply disappointed" about the decision to allow Springwell Solar Farm near Navenby to go ahead.

It will cover an area the size of 1,700 football pitches and incorporate a battery storage facility and provide power for 180,000 homes, its developer EDF said.

Announcing the decision on Wednesday, Energy Minister Michael Shanks said the solar farm would help provide "clean homegrown power that we control to protect the British people and bring down bills for good".

Dame Andrea said she had campaigned against other similar developments, adding: "We can't be the dumping ground for the government with the solar farms."

The Reform UK mayor said she had held meetings and taken legal advice, which is "currently being looked at by barristers who are experts in this field".

"They will decide whether they feel we've got a strong case to take this to a judicial review," she said.

"I'm not going to just step aside with this, I'm going to fight right to the end to try to make sure this doesn't happen."

The development was approved by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero following a public inquiry by the Planning Inspectorate.

Local campaigners had raised concerns about the loss of farmland, the impact on the landscape and the safety of the lithium-ion batteries.

Announcing the decision on Wednesday, Energy Minister Michael Shanks said the solar farm would help provide "clean homegrown power that we control to protect the British people and bring down bills for good".

"It is crucial we learn the lessons of the conflict in the Middle East – solar is one of the cheapest forms of power available and is how we get off the rollercoaster of international fossil fuel markets and secure our own energy independence," he said.

The site is expected to start producing electricity from 2029.

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