LOCALS campaigning against plans to build a huge solar farm have raised their concerns yet again after videos surfaced of underground fires at the sprawling site.
The site - which separates Grimethorpe and Cudworth - was put forward by clean energy solutions company Enviromena and comprises three land parcels the size of more than 130 football pitches.
According to its designers, the first parcel lies north of Ferry Moor Lane, the second is to the west of Engine Lane and the third - which is the largest - is to the east of Engine Lane.
The plans have been met with concern by residents since they were first mooted in 2023 and videos were last week posted showing smoke coming from underneath the land.
Campaigners had previously aired their concerns regarding similar incidents earlier this year but any work that has been completed is not helping, according to those against the plans.
Campaigner Linda Noble told the Chronicle: “The fires are becoming more extensive.
“This path has already been dug over twice in the past year in an attempt to remedy the situation, but it has proved that they can’t sort it without spending a lot of money on a project that has no guarantee of success.
“This has gone on for years - there are unmapped underground tunnels.
“What will happen when the works start and there is heavy machinery on site powered by petrol and diesel?
“What will happen when they start using pile drivers?
“Can the fire service even access the site should there be an issue?
“At this moment in time, we strongly believe this is not a viable site for a 173-acre solar farm, but until Enviromena invest more time and effort into truly examining the scale of the problem with the underground fires, who knows?”
Lee Adams, chief commercial officer at Enviromena, said the firm are still committed to the project.
He added: “We are aware of the reports from near to the site, however we do not believe this will in any way affect the development of our proposed project.
“We remain committed to delivering this vital infrastructure which will produce enough clean, green energy to power more than 25,000 homes per year, avoiding over 14,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.”
