I wish to bring to your attention the planning application for Wadswick Farm, near Neston.

The proposal to build a 35-acre solar park on prime agricultural land on a prominent and historic site is causing great consternation.

Last week Box Parish Council rejected the plans; this followed Corsham Town Council’s vote a week before to back the application. There is a growing tide of resentment in Neston and the hamlet of Wadswick against the planning application. If given the go-ahead, the solar farm would damage the visual beauty of the area, change the character of the landscape and adversely affect wildlife. In addition, valuable food producing land would be taken out of crop production leading to more food having to be imported for us to eat. This in turn will lead to more ‘food miles’, creating more greenhouse gasses (because of transportation) and further global warming.

The site of the proposed solar farm is close to the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Neston Conservation Area. It sits on an ancient drovers road and can be seen for miles around.

The whole scheme calls into question how we treat our countryside and to what lengths we wish to go to create ‘green energy’.

Wiltshire’s green and pleasant land is giving way to a patchwork of black gulags, surrounded, as solar parks are, by 2m high fencing and surveillance cameras.

Without a robust public debate Wiltshire Council is embarking on a crusade which will see our countryside change beyond all recognition.

Charles Todd, Neston.