Solar farm gets go-ahead despite council objection

A planning inspector found the benefits of the scheme outweighed the negatives

A solar farm the size of about 33 football pitches has been given the go-ahead on green belt farmland despite being rejected by councillors.

Shropshire Council had declined planning permission for the site off Hall Lane, Kemberton, near Telford.

The authority said it would have an "unacceptably adverse impact" and cause unacceptable loss of 50 acres of farmland.

But government planning inspector Alison Partington agreed with the developer that benefits of the scheme provided “very special circumstances” that outweighed any potential harm.

Swedish firm Vattenfall plans to build a 22-megawatt installation on the site, which sits on the edge of the green belt between Kemberton and Halesfield industrial estate.

“It is agreed that the proposal is inappropriate development in the green belt. This, by definition, is harmful,” Ms Partington said in her decision.

However, she granted planning permission, after pointing out that national policy presumed in favour of renewable energy development, and that this outweighed the negatives.

'Merge village with Telford'

The inspector also found that the development would not result in a reduction of the gap between Telford and Shifnal, as it was not directly in between.

She also pointed out that sheep would continue to graze the fields, preserving agricultural use of the site.

However, dozens of local people objected to the plans, with Kemberton Parish Council saying it would represent a "merging" of the village with Telford.

Other objections from villagers including referring to it as an "eyesore" and a "visible monument to this folly".

In a separate development, Shropshire Council has approved the development of a "battery bank" to store renewably-generated electricity, about five miles away in Albrighton.

The battery energy storage system (Bess) could hold enough power to supply 1,750 homes for a day.

It would be developed on the site of an existing electricity sub-station on Beamish Lane, with the support of Albrighton Parish Council.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.