Approval given for 'silent neighbour' solar farm

The solar farm is planned for the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border

Plans for a 77-hectare solar farm that will border three sides of a property have been approved.

West Northamptonshire Council's planning committee gave the green light for the solar farm to be built on six empty fields west of Welford, on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border.

A homeowner said the development would bring an “oppressive nature” to him and his family, and construction and traffic noise would disproportionately affect them.

But a planning officer said the solar farm would be “a silent neighbour” once complete, and the site was currently an arable field which would likely already generate noise from agricultural heavy machinery.

The developer said the solar panels would generate up to 49.9MW of energy, which would power about 14,500 homes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The applicant, Welford Solar Farms, said the project's construction would create 50 jobs, and it could save up to 11,500 tonnes of carbon a year over its 40-year lifespan.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Welford Solar Farms director Tim Hancock said: "We do, however, recognise that a proposal for a large project in a rural area results in some significant change locally.

"We can only locate solar farms where a suitable land area is available and where there is a sufficient grid capacity.

"We will help to contribute to meeting the UK’s need to reach net zero and help with energy security and affordability."

The committee unanimously approved the solar farm subject to conditions, including a construction management plan which will limit the harm and noise caused to neighbouring areas during construction.