Wootton Against Solar Panels and West Wight Villages Residents' Association Steering Group:

Who will be the last solar farm developer on the green fields of our beautiful Island, or has the solar panel ship already sailed? 

Let's hope so. Solar farms have been washing up on the Island's shores for decades - like beached oil tankers they are unwanted and unattractive. 

The two proposed solar farms currently going through the Island's planning process would be built on some of our best, most versatile and attractive land. 

They share much in common - they are roughly the same size and both promise similar levels of disruption and environmental damage. 

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Covering green fields in solar panels doesn't just have an adverse effect on the surrounding landscapes, local communities and food production, but they also result in soil compaction, alteration of drainage channels and increased erosion. 

The preferred position for solar panels in Europe now is to be on top of car parks and industrial buildings. 

Within the next few years France will produce as much energy as ten nuclear power facilities by its car park roll out alone. 

The Netherlands, being short of land, has opted to place solar panels on train stations, local infrastructure, and even old landfill sites in order to maximise available space for agriculture and amenity.  

The solar industry's recent shift towards a maritime setting has come too late for some, but is welcomed none the less, alongside tidal energy, kinetic wave energy, off-shore wind turbines and quantum dot solar cells. 

However, over 500 acres of green land on the IW has already been covered by solar panels. 

The visual impact is already significant as viewers of recent TV programmes will have noted.

Agricultural farms feed and employ members of their communities. 

Solar farms provide neither employment nor food. Both electricity and food are essential and we could have both if we prioritised solar panels being placed on roofs.

We urge the Isle of Wight Council to encourage solar developers to look elsewhere for their 'farms', and to join the solar panel rooftop revolution that the CPRE: the Countryside Charity is campaigning for and that Europe is adopting. 

Farmland is an invaluable resource - essential for carbon sequestering, food production, wildlife habitats, amenity, tourism and so much more.