Parish Meeting

Mersham Parish Meeting to be held in St John the Baptist Church, Mersham on Monday, 29th December 2025 at 7.00 pm

1.Welcome

2.Update on the situation with the Stone Street Solar Farm

3.Questions from the audience

4.Closed Ballot for those who are electors in Mersham

Mersham Parish Council has been approached by Aldington and Bonnington Parish Council to ask whether Mersham Parish Council would be willing to support their pursuit of a Judicial Review.

They have requested:

• A contribution of £1,000 at this stage to assist with the immediate costs of filing the case; and

• A pledge of a further £4,000 should the matter proceed to a full court hearing.

In November, residents of Aldington requested that their Parish Council pursue a Judicial Review of the decision issued by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to grant a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Stonestreet Green Solar scheme. Aldington and Bonnington Parish Council’s legal action has now commenced.

The grounds for their claim relate primarily to consistency of decision-making, following the dismissal of an appeal against Ashford Borough Council’s refusal of EDF’s East Stour Solar scheme.

Should the Court determine that the case “has merit”, the matter may proceed to a Court Hearing, which would incur substantial barrister and solicitor fees.

If Mersham Parish Council were to offer financial support, it would not be a litigant in the Judicial Review, would have no legal standing in the case, and its total contribution would be capped at £5,000. Aldington and Bonnington Parish Council would remain solely responsible for the litigation and any legal liabilities arising from it.

Mersham Parish Council has ongoing financial responsibilities, including the upkeep of the Junior Playing Field and the Millennium Green, and contributions towards the Village Caretaker Committee, among others.

Any contribution towards the Judicial Review would need to be funded from existing financial reserves. This represents approximately one fifth of the Parish Council’s unallocated reserves, and residents are therefore invited to consider whether this represents the most appropriate use of those funds.

Aldington and Bonnington Parish Council have stated that, even if successful, the Judicial Review would at best result in a re-examination and delay, and is extremely unlikely to prevent the solar scheme from proceeding entirely.

Mersham Parish Council would like to know whether parishioners support providing financial assistance of up to £5,000 on this basis.

We look forward to seeing you at Mersham St John the Baptist Church on 29 December 2025 at 7.00pm.