Help East Durham communities fund a legal challenge.

Help us fund specialist legal and expert advice, where there is a viable case, challenge planning decisions affecting East Durham communities. Your support would give local communities access to the expertise needed to scrutinise decisions about large-scale solar and battery energy storage developments.

Why we need your support.

EDAG was established in 2025 by residents in response to an escalation in planning applications for solar panel arrays and BESS developments across East Durham. EDAG are not opposed to Green Energy developments but are extremely concerned that the proposed developments will seriously impact on the wellbeing of local communities for decades to come.

EDAG have worked with Oxford University Professors to produce a fact-based report that exposes the dangers to residents associated with BESS/Solar energy technologies. EDAG is currently monitoring around 15 planning applications with more expected that if passed will have the cumulative impact of literally engulfing nearby communities.

We need financial support to provide EDAG with the capability to legally challenge resource rich developers who show no regard for the detrimental impact on East Durham villages.

Summary of the Main Concerns.

The main areas of concern are shown in the EDAG report (See: East Durham Action Group.co.uk website/facebook page) are as follows:

Ø The loss of beautiful green landscapes and agricultural land for at least 40 years. To be replaced with featureless grey panels surrounded by high security fences and CCTV monitoring. Approx 1200 acres across East Durham will be lost. There is little or no guarantee on how the sites will be decommissioned and how waste disposal will be managed.

Ø BESS technology presents challenges linked to Health and Safety. BESS fires release toxic chemicals into the atmosphere creating serious risk to health. These fires are not easily extinguished, and the water used to dampen flames is heavily contaminated with the potential to degrade the underground Magnesian Limestone aquifer that supplies public water to East Durham and Sunderland.

Why legal support matters.

EDAG has submitted objections to all solar/BESS planning applications to Durham County Council and ensured the voice of local communities was represented at the DCC Planning Committee. Elected members on the Planning Committee have rejected every application to date (4 applications). Developers have successfully lodged appeals to the Planning Inspectorate consequently developments were passed.

There is no available challenge to the Planning Inspectorate decision so EDAG need specialist legal and expert advice to assess the viability of mounting a Statutory Review legal challenge on behalf of East Durham communities. It is estimated that the cost of a Statutory Review is circa £50K plus.

Your contribution would help local residents obtain independent legal advice to pursue a challenge where there are sound grounds. Please donate what you can and share this appeal with others who care about East Durham’s future.

PLEASE DONATE TO THE EDAG LEGAL CHALLENGE TO SAVE OUR FUTURE WELLBEING.

THANK YOU.