A STAUNCH opponent of plans for a solar farm in Newbold Pacey near Stratford is distraught after council chiefs gave the green light to the contentious project.
Stratford District Council (SDC) granted planning permission for a solar farm across five fields at Elm Farm at a recent meeting, in the face of much local opposition.
The application, put in by Novus Renewable Service Limited, will see 39 hectares of solar panels installed, with the aim of providing enough electricity to power 5,623 homes – equivalent to nine per cent of Stratford district.
This amounts to an approximate annual saving of 5,379 tonnes of carbon dioxide, according to the official documents.
But Coun Anne Parry, SDC Ward Member for Wellesbourne East – who has been opposed to the solar farm at Newbold Pacey from the outset – told the Observer she had rarely felt so upset about a planning committee decision.
She continued: “On this occasion I strongly believe the committee members, with the exception of three individuals, made an error of judgement in the planning balance.
“I’m all in favour of solar farms if they are of the right size and in the right location, but to raid 96 acres of agricultural land growing much needed food and replace with 10 foot plus high solar panels across an undulating landscape, which will destroy the character of a gateway entrance into this medieval village, is just morally wrong.
“The developers also enlisted the support of Stratford Climate Action for the solar farm in a bid to outweigh the objections from villagers who will not be receiving any energy benefits from the scheme.”
She added: “The impact on the ancient track E6982 is horrendous and I find it sad that a landowner whose family has lived in the village and farmed on surrounding land for years would wish to change its heritage in this way.”
Three local parish councils – Newbold Pacey and Ashborne, Wellesbourne, and Moreton Morrell – also put in their objections including the inappropriate scale and design, impact on traffic, insufficient natural screening, and the detrimental impact on the rural character.
There were 32 letters of objection from the public.
Planning chiefs at SDC said in a statement, ahead of the council meeting, that according to their core strategy policy on sustainable energy, the council must support proposals for solar energy where the impacts are, or can be, made acceptable.
The statement continued that in July 2019, SDC declared a
“Climate Emergency” and resolved “to contribute to national carbon neutral targets through the development of their own practices and policies”.
“The provision of a solar farm therefore accords with this commitment, however, it also needs to be balanced against all other material considerations,” planning chiefs added.
At the planning meeting, councillors granted planning permission after agreeing the solar farm would cause “less than significant harm” to the heritage assets in the area and that this level of harm was outweighed by the benefits.
A condition was added that the site be decommissioned at the end of its life and “returned to its current agricultural condition or better”.
