James Gray has been banging the drum yet again against renewable energy on local radio and in the press.

While good agricultural land should be preserved for food production, there is plenty of less productive land that can be used for solar farms. The spaces in between the panels can be used for sheep grazing, wild flower meadows and honey production. We all know the need to protect the bees.

Solar farms offer one of a number of ways forward to generate our energy mix. I have been pressing the case for best practice with solar farms where a figure of £1,000 per megawatt per year is given over to the local parish council.

This is the case for the scheme proposed near Seend. With 45MW being generated, this would have meant a bounty of £1m being paid to the parish council over the 25-year life expectancy of the scheme.

The Conservatives on Wiltshire Council, with James Gray’s backing, have managed to hold this development back, much to the anger of local people who would like to see it go forward. Wiltshire Council and James Gray should instead be promoting the good practice that I have suggested above and in the process help to keep the lights on and the environment safe for our children and grandchildren.

Dr Brian Mathew, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for North Wiltshire.