New solar farm on outskirts of town is approved

The 28MW solar farm will operate for 40 years

A new solar farm in Lincolnshire will help generate enough energy to power 13,661 homes each year.

Members of South Kesteven District Council's planning committee approved a temporary application for the development at Home Farm in Dyke Drove, on the outskirts of Bourne, on 6 March.

The meeting heard that the 28MW solar farm will operate for 40 years and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 8,200 tonnes each year.

Landowner William Ash told members that the scheme would cover just 6% of the wider landholding, with the remainder retained for food production.

He said: "The scheme will support new investment on the farm, which in turn will sustain jobs for the local workforce and supply chain."

He also told members that the farming sector was in "crisis", adding that "we need to diversify to remain solvent".

Developers Enray Power Ltd said the construction period would be brief and HGV traffic will be kept to a minimum and none routed through Dyke.

Once built, the development will be unmanned and visited only occasionally for maintenance, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Zoe Lane urged the committee to refuse planning permission before the vote, as she said that 76.36% of the development site is classed as Grade 2 land, with the remainder designated as Grade 3A, which are both considered among the best and most versatile for agricultural use.

She said: "Whilst you are obliged to consider this case on its merits and not what may transpire in the future, I would suggest that 40 years of industrial use with a grid connection in place very quickly changes what we ourselves would consider to be open countryside and likely moves that industrial land use out of the realm of temporary."

Lincolnshire County Councillor Sue Woolley added there had been two written complaints from residents over the plans.

She said: "Whilst I do not agree that quality food-producing land should be used in the first instance, I do respect the right of the landowner to farm his land in the way that he wishes.

"I've been to visit the site. It's behind a reasonably quiet fen road out of the nearest village. Any impact from increased traffic noise is likely to be from the construction work, so therefore temporary."

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