Hundreds of trees ripped up to make way for solar panel farm

Hundreds of trees ripped up to make way for solar panel farm

Hundreds of trees have been ripped up to make way for a new solar panel farm by the Water Treatment Works on Roch Valley Way.

Rochdale Online can reveal that despite no public consultation, United Utilities applied for the development last year and was granted a certificate on 18 December, saying that the legalities of the process do not require for them to go public.

Rochdale Council said that because the scheme is classed as “permitted development” in national legislation, the usual planning process was not necessary and the matter was in the hands of United Utilities.

A spokesperson for United Utilities confirmed that the trees are not protected and that they can be legally removed without consent.

Local resident Mike Knight said that local people should have been informed. He added: “You should see the stack of perfectly healthy mature trees they are loading onto trucks. It beggars belief that they are doing it without planning permission. Why should this application slip through the net yet others have to go through the whole works?

“They are meant to be creating an environmentally friendly space with solar panels, but they are ripping up trees to do it. Where is the sense in that?

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “We built on old drying beds that have been left to go back to nature for 25 years. We took the trees down because we need clean ground to build the array.

“We’re working on a landscaping plan which will likely consist of screening. The scheme is covered by UU’s permitted development rights.”

John Searle, Head of Economy at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We are aware of works being carried out by United Utilities to create a solar farm at the Water Treatment Works off Roch Valley Way. This work did not require planning permission as it is classed as permitted development according to national legislation.

“The council provided a certificate of lawful development following an application by United Utilities before they started work on site. This confirms that the development is legal under government guidelines and does not require planning permission”.

Councillor Andy Kelly said: "Of course, we are fully supportive of renewable energy, this must not, however, be at the expense of our environment. This Borough is fully behind our innovative plan to plant 10,000 trees this calendar year - losing trees in Roch Valley River Park flies in the face of this.

"Locals are absolutely up in arms at this environmental destruction. The loss of many acres of woodland is a tragedy.

"The work was carried out at the weekend too - this meant residents couldn't complain to the Council.

"I will be asking the Council to do a thorough review of our remaining woodland in the Borough. It's important we protect what we have got and if that means slapping Tree Preservation Orders on our woodland then so be it."

Councillor Ian Duckworth said: “The irony shouldn’t go ignored that this is supposed to be a green space and they are ripping up all these mature trees. Even the solar panels themselves have to be manufactured somewhere.”

The works are due to be finished by June (2016).