Solar plans approved despite claims area 'not sunny'

The solar farm will be developed on land near Spennymoor

A new solar farm in County Durham has been approved, despite concerns the area is not "sunny" enough.

Lightsource BP revised proposals for the development in Hett, near Spennymoor, after original plans were refused by the council in 2022.

Resident Jean Wood, who lives close to the site, said: "Durham is not a sunny place, especially in winter, when we need more electricity."

The company said a community event in January showed "43% of residents were supportive" of the plans, with 41% neutral and 16% opposed.

Ms Wood, who lives 250m away, said she had not “been mentioned or even considered” in “any of the documents”.

She added: "We do get a lot of rain, which has had a major impact on crops, so to take this land out of operation would be neglectful. Agricultural land is a finite commodity."

During the initial application, Durham County Council's planning committee rejected the bid.

Councillors said the "location and size" would "cause unacceptable harm to the character, quality and distinctiveness of the landscape".

Under new plans, the solar farm will cover 282 acres of farmland, instead of the initial 266 acres.

However, PV panels have been removed in the south-western fields, resulting in a reduced developmental footprint, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The solar farm will reduce carbon emissions, according to the company behind the plans

Local politicians including Labour's Mary Kelly Foy, MP for the City of Durham, backed the plans.

She wrote in support of the application, stating the local authority declared a climate emergency in 2019 and was committed to achieving a carbon-neutral county by 2045.

Green Party councillor Jonathan Elmer, who voted to approve the scheme, added: “We have to do everything we can to tackle this climate emergency.”

Lightsource BP said the solar farm would make a "positive contribution to increasing renewable energy generation and reducing carbon emissions".