Affligem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The town of Affligem is considering a solar panel park near Pastoriweg, Oude Baan, and Groenstraat, but farmers and residents oppose it. Mayor Walter De Donder is undecided and consulting the Agency for Agriculture and Fisheries. Stin Stassins raised concerns about fairness in energy policies.
The city council plans to construct a solar panel park in a green field around Pastoriweg, Oude Baan, and Groenstraat. The land is now being farmed, so some are concerned about the effect of the park on the soil and the animals that inhabit the area. They show concerns at a public meeting, and the Farmers’ Union has also spoken out against the project.
Mayor Walter De Donder reports that he’s aware of all these issues and still hasn’t finalised his decision to proceed with the project. He hasn’t decided yet, and he mentioned that he needs more opinions before determining if he approves the park or not. The park’s size is still unknown, and the government is reviewing all the feedback before making a final decision.
Will Affligem approve a solar park amid farmers’ concerns?
The government is looking at all the concerns and trying to figure out which ones are good reasons to stop the project. The park is supposed to help make energy from the sun, but some people think it’s a bad idea to build it in a green area. Local mentioned that the government needs to think about what’s good for the environment, the economy, and the people before they decide.
The mayor, Walter De Donder, is worried about the solar park. He believes it might have an impact on the environment and the farms around there. He doesn’t know if animals such as chickens, goats, and sheep would be content with solar panels because they wouldn’t see much sunlight. He also thinks the plants and grass would be in the shade all the time, which could be bad for the natural world.
The town of Affligem is asking for help from experts at the Agency for Agriculture and Fisheries to see if the park is a good idea. The mayor says their advice will be very important when they decide whether to build the park.
At a city council meeting, a politician named Stin Stassins asked if the government would be as tough on the solar park as they were on wind turbines in the past. The mayor said the 2 projects are different. Wind turbines need approval from the government, but the city council decides on the solar park.
