In a move that will surprise absolutely no one who has been paying attention to energy policy, the government has waved through a massive solar farm in rural Lincolnshire, despite the inevitable public outcry. The Beacon Fen Energy Park, near Sleaford, will have the capacity to power up to 130,000 homes - presumably including a few of the very people who objected to it.

John Wheadon from the Planning Inspectorate, clearly a man with a job to do, declared there was an "urgent need" for the development. Because nothing says urgency like acres of photovoltaic panels in a field that was previously doing a fine job as a field.

Conservative MP Dr Caroline Johnson, representing Sleaford and North Hykeham, took to social media to express her constituents' collective rage, calling the approval "another kick in the teeth for local people who have campaigned tirelessly against it." Nothing like a bit of dental imagery to convey political betrayal.

Meanwhile, developer Low Carbon is popping the champagne, with managing director Mike Rutgers hailing the decision as a "landmark moment." He noted this is "one of the first major energy infrastructure decisions taken under the new Secretary of State," and it "sends a clear signal about the importance of accelerating homegrown, clean energy." Rutgers also thanked locals for their "engagement," which is one way to describe a campaign of tireless opposition.

The project, which will cover land north of Heckington, was submitted in May 2025. Opponents Mandy Goodhand and Stevie Johnson-Mansley, a local couple, are particularly thrilled: their rural retirement cottage will be "surrounded by 15ft (4.5m) solar panels," which they describe as "devastating." Because nothing says peaceful retirement like living inside a photovoltaic array.

Of course, this all falls under the wonderfully bureaucratic category of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPS), meaning the decision was made by government ministers rather than local councils. Because when it comes to things that affect local communities, who better to decide than people who've never been there?

For those keeping score at home, this is yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of "we need clean energy, but not in my backyard." The sun, it seems, is welcome to shine - just not on their land.