A SOLAR farm will be built between two south Warwickshire villages after plans were given the green light.
Belvedere Energy Developments applied to Stratford District Council for a temporary permission for the 4.5hectare farm on
land off Hambridge Road between Bishop’s Itchington and Ladbroke.
The 11-acre site at Weddington Farm – roughly the size of seven football pitches – is currently used for agriculture but the company wanted to turn part of it into a solar park in a bid to safeguard its future.
The company said a consultation had been carried out and traffic concerns over the farm – which would be made up of some 7,800 panels – have now been resolved.
The 25-year development would generate just over 2 MW of electricity per year – enough to cover the entire power needs of more than 600 homes.
Bishop’s Itchington Parish Council objected to the plans citing concerns about the impact on nearby residents during construction.
It also raised fears the development would prove a blot on the landscape as the site is close to a country lane popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
And the parish council argued the area had already made a contribution to renewable energy by supporting the nearby Southam Solar Farm off Plough Lane, which is currently up and running.
But despite this, members of the authority’s planning committee followed officers’ recommendations – granting temporary permission for the solar farm at a meeting on Wednesday.
Work on the site is expected to begin in the coming months.
