Appeal lodged after giant solar farm plan refused

The developer behind the proposed solar farm has appealed the decision to refuse the scheme

Developers who want to build a solar farm in the countryside have appealed against a decision to refuse the scheme.

Durham County Council's planning committee threw out an application for the 92-hectacre (227-acre) site near Burnhope in March, after previously approving the plans in 2023.

After a judicial review legal challenge by residents, the permission was quashed by the planning court in February 2024, ruling the scheme "unlawful".

The future of the proposal will now be decided by the government after developers Lightsource bp appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.

The developers resubmitted the application for the site last year following the High Court ruling and said landscaping had been improved to minimise visual impacts, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.

According to the plans, up to 14 fields near the County Durham village would be overlaid with panels, including areas near the Chapman's Well nature reserve.

Landowners said the proposed site was unsuitable for growing crops

Councillors voted against the plans in March due to the size and scale of the proposed solar farm and the loss of landscape.

However, the refusal was not unanimous, with some committee members claiming the development was essential to achieving County Durham's net zero ambitions.

At the time, the council was run as a coalition between the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Independents. It is now led by Reform UK.

Landowners said the proposed site was unsuitable for growing crops or keeping livestock and the scheme would produce renewable energy to help contribute to environmental ambitions.

Campaigners have argued the 110,640 panels would dwarf Burnhope.

A total of 603 objections and 68 letters of support were submitted since the proposal was first lodged.

No date has been set for the appeal decision.