Newmarket trainers vote with their feet to 'Say No To Sunnica' solar farm

Nearly 200 protestors, including key members of the Newmarket equine fraternity, joined local MPs Matt Hancock and Lucy Frazer on a 'Say No To Sunnica' march in Suffolk on Sunday morning.

Trainers Ed Dunlop, James Fanshawe, Tom Clover and the retired James Toller joined the throng on the march from Mildenhall to the cricket club at Worlington, which is one of the villages due to be affected if the proposed solar farm gets the go-ahead.

Carrying placards and sporting high-visibility jackets, the marchers started out just after 9am and heard speeches from Hancock and Frazer as well as 'Say No To Sunnica' action group chair Catherine Judkins.

MP's Matt Hancock and Lucy Frazer at the start of the 'Say No To Sunnica' march

Some came from as far away as Ipswich to join the march, of which by far the youngest on duty was Tom Clover's 19-month old daughter Elizabeth – although her conveyance was a buggy.

If the proposed installation gets the green light, it would be the biggest solar farm in Europe and cover the size of over 2,000 football pitches, with parts of it bordering the Newmarket training grounds.

'It needs to be stopped' - Hancock on the march against Newmarket solar farm

Addressing the marchers, Hancock said: "The turnout is a far greater number than we expected for 9am on a Sunday morning and it just shows the strength of feeling that there is locally against this scheme.

"This farm would be situated right up to the villages and would impact on the Newmarket training grounds. Ultimately we have to stop this scheme, as we have to protect the beautiful countryside and also protest against industrial accidents we've seen at battery farms such as this around the world."

Matt Hancock with James Fanshawe and Ed Dunlop

Fanshawe said: "Myself and [wife] Jacko have come along firstly to support the villages that will be impacted by this scheme, and secondly to show our opposition to such a huge development on prime agricultural land.

"There is a need for renewables but I think it's the wrong place to build a 2,800-acre farm when we need all the land we've got to grow produce at the moment."

Among those carrying a 'Say No To Sunnica' sign was Dunlop, who said: "It's the sheer size of the development that concerns me. I'm not against solar power but this is just too much. It's great to see so many people have turned out early on a Sunday morning to show their opposition to these plans."

The Sunnica March heads out of Mildenhall

The Sunnica application, which is now moving towards the planning inspectorate stage, is opposed by both West Suffolk Council and East Cambridgeshire County Council, which it straddles.

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