'Inappropriate' solar farm plan refused by council

Babergh District Council has rejected plans for a solar farm near a village

Plans for a solar farm were refused by councillors after one said they were "totally inappropriate".

Babergh District Council met on Wednesday to discuss the submitted plans for the solar farm in Bentley near Ipswich.

Green Switch Capital's plans received 13 letters in support while 175 residents submitted objections.

Planning officers had previously recommended the plans were refused which councillors unanimously agreed to follow.

The application was for a site between Potash Lane and Church Road in the village, mostly located on land of the best quality for agriculture, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The solar farm, with up to 40 MW of export capacity, would be built on 48.3 hectares (119.3 acres) alongside ancillary infrastructure and cabling, two substations, and new vehicular accesses.

Bentley, Capel St Mary and Tattingstone parish councils submitted objections to the plans.

Speaking at the meeting, Michael Bamford, a Bentley parish councillor, shared many of the concerns, including fears the solar panels would "industrialise" the landscape and leave "lasting damage".

Thomas Hill, an objector, said the plans had brought anxiety to residents and stressed best quality land, landscape, and heritage assets should not be sacrificed to build a solar farm.

Assessing the application, officers backed concerns with a recommendation for refusal on the grounds of significant landscape and heritage harm.

A 'unique' site

Despite the opposition, Tom Roseblade, the agent, said the company disputed the impacts on the landscape and stressed the benefits of the solar farm.

He stressed these benefits outweighed the potential harm and suggested the plans could still be approved by the planning inspector even if they were refused by the district council.

Liberal Democrat and Bentley ward member, David Busby, argued the historical setting of the site made the plans "totally inappropriate".

"Much of the historical assets around it go back to the medieval times, this has remained unchanged for that kind of period, it's very unique in that," he added.

"It is an area that deserves conserving, you don't get this kind of landscape and heritage anywhere else, it's unique.

"There are hundreds of other sites potentially coming forward, we do not need this one."