The company behind the scheme, Ecotricity, is owned by Labour donor Dale Vince, who has poured a staggering £5.4 million into the party since 2022.
Ed Miliband has approved yet another colossal solar and battery farm project – despite nearly half the site being prime agricultural land.
The controversial decision, made on 24 January 2025, gives the green light to Ecotricity (Heck Fen Solar) Limited to construct and operate a massive ground-mounted solar farm in Lincolnshire, with a capacity exceeding 50 megawatts (MW).
The facility will also include a giant energy storage system with an estimated storage capacity of 200-400 MWand a connection to the National Grid’s Bicker Fen substation.
But here’s the catch – the company behind the scheme, Ecotricity, is owned by Labour donor Dale Vince, who has poured a staggering £5.4 million into the party since 2022.
The project has sparked outrage among local communities and farmers, who say it’s a blatant land grab, taking away top-graded farmland that should be used for food production. A shocking 49% of the site is prime agricultural land, raising serious questions about the government’s commitment to food security.
Nick Timothy MP, the Conservative MP for West Suffolk said:
“How is this allowed? Ed Miliband has approved another giant solar and battery farm. 49% of the site is top-graded agricultural land. The applicant? Ecotricity, owned by … Labour donor Dale Vince. They’ve given £5.4 million to Labour since 2022.”
According to sources, this isn’t Ecotricity’s first attempt to develop the site. The location has a history with the company, having previously been the subject of a planning application for a large wind farm. Initially rejected at the local level, the proposal was later called in by then-Secretary of State Ed Davey. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) raised concerns about potential radar interference at nearby RAF bases, ultimately leading to the project’s refusal.
However, despite fierce opposition, the approval has now been granted for a colossal Ecotricity solar and battery farm project under the Planning Act 2008, which allows large-scale infrastructure projects to bypass local council objections and go straight to the Secretary of State.
Critics also argue that the lack of an upper limit on generating capacity means the site could expand beyond its current 50 MW minimum, further encroaching on valuable farmland.
A spokesperson for the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) slammed the move, saying:
“We are deeply concerned that productive farmland is being sacrificed for large-scale solar developments at a time when food security should be a top priority.”
Labour’s decision has also raised eyebrows in Westminster, with opposition MPs questioning whether Miliband’s approval of the project is influenced by Vince’s generous donations to Labour. Calls are growing for an investigation into the government’s ties to major donors and their influence over planning decisions.
Local residents are now gearing up for a fight, with campaign groups vowing to challenge the project and calling for a review of the decision.
The full details of the project can be found on the National Infrastructure Planning website: Ecotricity Heck Fen Solar Project.
One thing’s for sure – questions will be asked, and the public deserves answers. How is this allowed?
Main Photo: Dale Vince with Jeremy Corbyn at Forest Green Rovers Football Club in December 2019. Source: Visiting Forest Green Rovers Football Club. Image zoomed in to fit screen. Photo source: Wikipedia. Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
