By Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Esson
Plans for a solar farm just a stone’s throw away from important ancient ruins have been unveiled, leading to fears the area will turn into a “large industrial park”.
RBL Solar has submitted documents revealing they intend to apply to build a 40 megawatt (MW) solar farm at the former Richborough landfill, near Sandwich – and close to the Roman ruins at Richborough.
It comes after an application for an even larger 49.9MW solar farm proposed near the ruins last year which awaits approval and attracted more than 700 objections from the public.
RBL Solar has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment scoping report to Dover District Council (DDC) detailing the information needed to accompany their plans.
On behalf of the developers, consultants SLR said in the report: “RBL Solar Ltd intends to apply for planning permission to construct and operate a 40MW solar photovoltaic array, substation and connecting cables on land at the former Richborough landfill.”
The site is just off Ramsgate Road and is the size of about 87 football pitches, and was a landfill maintained by the county council until it was closed in the 1990s.
“The site has been restored and is under continuing environmental monitoring,” the report adds.
The report also explains that the Roman ruins are only about 75 metres from the area they propose to install solar panels.
Richborough once hosted a huge Roman fort, town and amphitheatre, and was the first permanent Roman settlement in Britain after the invasion by Emperor Claudian in 43 AD.
Today the wall of the fortress and amphitheatre remain visible and the site is managed by English Heritage.
Local archaeologist and heritage lead for the Save Ash Levels campaign Dr Tony Redding is not a fan of the plans.
“The giant solar farm developers, not content with attacking Richborough Roman Fort from one direction, now plan to assault it from another,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
“This part of the East Kent coastal area is fast losing its rural character.
“In a decade it will be a large industrial park.
“These massive solar farms will destroy the quality of life for thousands of people. They will degrade the value of property and small businesses and destroy heritage that belongs to future generations.
“Of course, sustainable energy is important for our future, but what sort of future are we heading for?”
The new 40MW proposal is being dubbed RBL2, and sits directly south of RBL1 – a 5MW solar farm already operated by RBL Solar.
It comes after Statkraft – Europe’s biggest renewable energy firm – applied to DDC in November 2023 for permission to build its own 49.9MW solar farm 160 metres from the Roman ruins.
The project has been dubbed “Little South Solar Farm”, and DDC have made no decision on it yet.
When it was proposed, famed historian of the Romans and TV star Professor Dame Mary Beard took to X (formerly Twitter) to draw attention to it, saying “if you are interested in the Roman site at Richborough, you should take a look at this”.
Any solar farm of 50MW or more requires permission from the Secretary of State for energy security and net zero, rather than the local council.
A spokesperson for RBL Solar said: “Our emerging proposal provides an opportunity to generate clean energy to help combat climate change through solar arrays on an underutilised former landfill site.
“We will be sharing information on our proposals at a community consultation event which will provide an opportunity for residents and other consultees to give feedback.”
Culture and history can go to hell when there’s money to be made.
When will this or any government offer incentives for householders to install solar panels or tiles on their roof. Why won’t schools (KCC Education) allow energy companies to install solar panels on their buildings. Why aren’t all local authorities installing solar panels on public buildings. Questions that need to be answered rather than take up valuable agricultural land. There are crops that could be grown underneath solar panels if the panels were standing 3 mtrs off the ground.
The irony.
It was a landfill site for which permission was granted many decades ago. The same distance from the ancient site. What’s the problem?
Do it!
Solar panels should be given to everyone to put on their homes so they can benefit from the energy produced. Oh, but this would not benefit these big power companies that promised us cheap energy when all the windmills were erected in the sea spoiling our views. Instead prices increased year on year. Why should they litter the countryside with these panels when they can easily be put on top of buildings out of sight like they do in other countries? We are constantly scammed by this nonsense and plenty of others. Renationalise these companies and stop selling our power off to the highest bidders abroad so they can sell it back to us at inflated prices.