On Monday, 9th June, the Lincolnshire County Council Planning Committee met to consider several significant matters, including the proposed Springwell Solar Farm—a vast 800MW development that, if approved, would cover approximately 1,280 hectares in North Kesteven.

Despite the importance of this meeting for thousands of Lincolnshire residents, not a single Reform UK councillor—aside from the chairman—contributed to the discussion.

Local Conservative Councillors raised the concerns you would expect from representatives standing up for their communities. They questioned the use of high-quality agricultural land for solar development, the lack of focus on rooftop and brownfield alternatives, and the absence of meaningful community benefits in the proposal.

However, the meeting took an unexpected turn toward the end of the debate. The newly appointed Reform UK Chairman proposed a three-month deferral of the agenda item, citing insufficient time for his group to review the documentation—despite the government’s consultation deadline having just passed.

Had this deferral been accepted, the County Council would have failed to submit a formal response to the planning process—potentially weakening the local voice in a decision that ultimately rests with the Secretary of State, Ed Miliband.

In an extraordinary and unprecedented intervention, the Leader of the Council broke with convention—and, some might argue, council protocol—to directly address the Chairman. While the exchange was not fully transparent, it appeared to prompt the Chairman to swiftly withdraw his proposal and instead support the Conservative motion to accept the officer’s recommendation that the Council object to the development.

This episode highlights the disorganised and unprofessional approach Reform UK is bringing to the leadership of the County Council—an approach that risks undermining the Council’s ability to represent local interests effectively.

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 Watch the full meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/live/24lGOapo_bg?si=9GaaWvLJV4j6gEAF