Key Points of Our Objection to Save Our Beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands
Solar Farm Transition
The devastating visual impact and harm caused to the open moorlandct
​The proposed solar plant would sprawl across an elevated hillside with a dramatic approximate 100 metre (328-foot) drop from top to bottom. Its vast scale and height make it impossible to conceal, no matter how much screening is promised. This development would obliterate a stretch of unspoilt open grassland in the area a landscape of outstanding natural beauty that can be clearly seen from miles away, including the Wrekin in Shropshire and even the Welsh Mountains.To place an industrial power plant in such a prominent, scenic location defies all reason and common sense. It is difficult to imagine a more unsuitable or damaging site for such a scheme.
Local Environmental Impact
​Solar power plants rely on industrial scale inverters to convert the direct current (DC) produced by solar panels into alternating current (AC) for the National Grid. These inverters, along with their cooling fans, generate a constant low-frequency humming noise an intrusive sound that carries far in quiet rural settings.
In addition to the noise, solar panels create an unnatural glint and glare as sunlight bounces off their reflective surfaces. What should be a landscape of soft greens and natural tones would instead flash with metallic reflections visible for miles.
Given the site’s elevated and exposed position, these effects would be amplified across the valley. The hum of machinery and the shimmer of mirrored panels would shatter the tranquillity of this peaceful landscape a constant disturbance both day and night.
Severe threat to heritageAssets
​​Beneath the proposed development site lie the visible and well-documented remains of three early railway tramroads, the last of which was an historic cable railway, with their associated structures. Together, they form a remarkably preserved snapshot of early railway engineering dating from 1776 to 1849 a period that laid the foundations of the modern rail industry. These remains are not only of national and international importance, but also a treasured part of the industrial heritage of the Churnet Valley and the Staffordshire Moorlands.
To construct a solar power plant over these remains with its extensive groundwork, heavy machinery and deep foundations would irreparably damage or destroy these historic features. Once lost, they can never be recovered. This would erase a vital piece of the area’s story, silencing a chapter of world-class industrial history that should instead be protected, studied and celebrated for future generations.
Damage to local Ecology
​Despite the claims, large scale solar plants are far from environmentally friendly. Beneath the panels, the land is cast into permanent shade, killing off natural grassland and probably altering the soil beyond recovery. Contaminated rainwater run off and chemical residues from panel cleaning seep into the earth, polluting nearby streams and watercourses. The result is a permanent scar on the landscape, where once healthy ground becomes lifeless and degraded.
The site in question is valuable open grassland and pasture, vital not only for local food production but also as a rich habitat for wildlife. This land supports a diversity of species including curlew, great crested newts, bats and lapwings several of which are protected or under threat. To replace this thriving ecosystem with steel, glass and fencing would be an act of environmental vandalism, destroying what nature has built over centuries in exchange for minimal and short lived energy gain.
Loss of Amenity
​For countless generations, people have come to the Churnet Valley to experience the sights, sounds and scents of the countryside, the song of birds, the rustle of wildlife, the natural rhythm of rural life. These timeless experiences have brought peace, inspiration and joy to local families, visitors and tourists for centuries. Among them was the celebrated poet Mary Howitt (1799–1888), who grew up in Uttoxeter and often visited Cauldon Lowe in the 1840s, finding beauty and inspiration in the very landscapes now under threat.To sacrifice this living heritage to an industrial solar plant would not only destroy the character of the valley, but also erase a piece of the region’s cultural soul a place that has inspired creativity and connection for generations.
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Impacts on public rights of way
The proposed solar development would directly affect at least five public rights of way paths, that have been freely enjoyed by local people and visitors for generations. Each section of the site including every footpath would be enclosed by steel security fencing up to three metres high, fitted with locked gates and CCTV surveillance. These industrial barriers would severely restrict access and destroy the open, welcoming character of what is currently a peaceful and much loved landscape for walkers, families and ramblers alike.Instead of open views and fresh air, visitors would find themselves walking through narrow corridors of fencing, hemmed in by metal and cameras. The sense of claustrophobia and unease this creates is entirely at odds with the freedom the countryside should offer. There are also legitimate safety concerns high fencing could trap people in the event of a grassland fire or prevent escape from potential danger.Added to this are the as yet poorly understood effects of electromagnetic fields generated by such large solar installations, bringing yet another layer of uncertainty and risk to those living near or using these public paths.This development would not only destroy the joy of walking in open countryside, it would replace it with an environment of surveillance, noise and confinement — the very opposite of what the Churnet Valley represents.
Potential Impact on the mental and physical health of residents
It is well established that our countryside plays a vital role in supporting both mental and physical wellbeing. People come to the Churnet Valley for peace, beauty and open space not to overlook an industrial solar plant. The sheer scale of the proposed development, combined with its exposed hillside position, means it would dominate the landscape and become impossible to ignore.
For the many residents whose homes border the site, and for countless visitors who value this tranquil valley, the visual intrusion, fencing, noise and loss of open countryside would take a real toll on wellbeing and quality of life. What is now a place of calm reflection and natural beauty would be turned into a constant reminder of what has been lost.
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Negative Impact on Tourism.
​In recent years, this part of the Staffordshire Moorlands has become a genuine success story for sustainable tourism. Its network of beautiful walking routes, breathtaking views, and peaceful countryside attracts visitors from across the UK and beyond, providing a vital boost to local hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops and the wider rural economy. This steady, low impact tourism is exactly the kind of growth that supports both people and planet proof that protecting the landscape pays.
Yet the proposed solar power plant would sit right within the Churnet Valley Masterplan Boundary, and alarmingly close to Cotton Dell Nature Reserve. The Masterplan’s vision is clear: to safeguard this landscape and work towards National Landscape designation (formerly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). This recognition would celebrate and protect the valley’s natural beauty for generations to come.
Approving an industrial scale solar plant here would destroy that ambition overnight. Instead of an area celebrated for its tranquil charm and natural splendour, we would be left with a fenced, industrialised zone of glass and metal a blight that would undermine years of careful progress and rob the Moorlands of its rightful future as one of Britain’s most cherished landscapes.
Solar Energy can be stored in Lithium batteries
The electricity generated by solar power plants is often stored in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) technology that has a well-documented history of fires and explosions. When these batteries ignite, the resulting blazes are extremely intense and difficult to extinguish, often burning for days. Such fires pose a serious risk to life, releasing highly toxic gases and creating widespread environmental contamination.
The danger doesn’t end there. The foams and chemicals used to fight these fires often contain “Forever Chemicals”, which persist indefinitely in the environment. Even when water alone is used, tens of thousands of gallons of polluted run off can soak into the soil, flow into local streams and rivers, and contaminate other water courses such as aquifer and lakes. The impact of such pollution could linger for centuries, devastating both the landscape and the health of communities and wildlife that depend on it.
Loss of Efficiency
The World Bank places the UK an astonishing 229th out of 230 countries for solar potential with only Ireland performing worse. That alone should set alarm bells ringing. Solar simply isn’t suited to our climate. When compared with offshore wind, the contrast is striking: a 140-acre solar site might power around 9,000 homes, yet a single North Sea turbine can supply electricity to roughly 16,000.
In terms of efficiency — the actual energy delivered to the National Grid — solar struggles to reach even 11–15%, while offshore wind consistently exceeds 50%. The figures speak for themselves.
To make matters worse, the proposed site sits about 1,000 feet above sea level, an area well known for mist, low cloud and fog. These conditions would slash solar performance even further. It’s difficult to imagine a less suitable location for a solar farm.
Approving such a scheme would ignore both science and common sense. Investing in technologies that actually work in the UK, such as offshore wind — would deliver far greater returns, without sacrificing vast tracts of countryside for minimal gain.
The series risk of irreversible risk to ground water
​The proposed solar plant sits directly above a natural aquifer, a vital underground water source within permeable rock that absorbs and filters rainwater. This raises a risk of irreversible contamination to the aquifer itself.
Solar panels can contain toxic elements such as lead, cadmium and strontium, along with “self-cleaning” chemical coatings that often include so called forever chemicals, substances known to persist indefinitely in the environment. These materials deteriorate over time and are washed off continually by rain and cleaning processes, seeping into the soil. From there, they can pass through local sinkholes and into the aquifer beneath, allowing poisons and pollutants linked to severe health conditions to spread through the local water system.
Because the site lies on steeply sloping ground on the northern side of the Cotton Valley, with highly permeable soil, contaminated run off would inevitably drain into Cotton Brook, flowing directly into Cotton Dell Nature Reserve, Bath Pasture (Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)) and the River Churnet itself. The potential consequences for wildlife, water quality and public health could be catastrophic and permanent.
Invalid Planning Operations Criteria(non material considerations)
Although very important to the local-community’s residents, objections based on the following cannot be taken into account by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Planning Department:
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Loss of a private view from a property
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Devaluation of your property (by up to 40%)
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The personal character or motives of the applicant
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A flood of further solar power plant applications locally stemming from this proposal
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Problems and noise during the construction period (these are covered by separate environmental health legislation
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The Problem with Solar report
To read the report click on the icon below