EXPLORER David Hempleman-Adams has added his voice to the growing concerns about the 
number of solar farms being built in the Melksham area. 

The adventurer, from Box, has expressed his worries about the proposed development at Little Chalfield in a letter to Wiltshire Council’s planning officer, Alison Hall. 

As the first man to reach the geographic and magnetic North and South Poles, Mr Hempleman-Adams highlighted that while he has first-hand experience of global warming, he feels very strongly that local authorities should be doing more to encourage solar development on brownfield and industrial sites instead. 

It comes just a week after North Wiltshire MP James Gray made a stand in Parliament against plans for solar farms on green fields, saying people in the area were being “beseiged by hundreds of applications”. 

Mr Hempleman-Adams said: “I very much hope this proposal is denied permission and that other potential sites other than greenfield are actively pursued.” 

As a balloon pilot Mr Hempleman-Adams also said he believes aerial views are being ruined. 

He said: “They frankly look appalling from the air, a large black blot on an otherwise green landscape, and the cumulative effect of so many in one area is very striking and detrimental, potentially damaging the very reason people chose to visit the area.” 

He added: “On a much smaller objection, I ride my horse, Mr Spot, past this very site and 
already have been nearly mowed down on several occasions. 

“Given that I have climbed Everest twice and reached both the North and South Poles and have lived to tell the tale, I think it would be very embarrassing for you if I get mowed down 
by an articulated lorry in my 
own back yard.” 

A meeting will be held at County Hall in Trowbridge on Wednesday at 3pm to decide whether the proposed solar farm on land west of Ganbrook Farm, Little Chalfield, will go ahead.