Council approves university's solar array

The solar array will produce power for the University of Exeter

Plans for dozens of solar panels within a Devon wildlife site have been given the go ahead.

Exeter City Council's planning committee approved the application by the University of Exeter to put solar panels in Duryard Valley Park.

It is publicly accessible land – designated a site of nature conservation importance and a county wildlife site – owned by the university.

The 1.07MWp (megawatt peak) array will provide about 3% of the university's electricity demand, its director of sustainability said.

Joanna Chamlerlain said: “We are in a climate crisis and the proposed PV array at Duryard would provide an opportunity to make significant strides towards towards carbon net zero, alongside roof-mounted [solar panel] installations.”

Fourteen public objections were received, with concerns including that the solar farm would harm the character of the valley, and upset wildlife, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Supporting this view were a number of councillors, including Conservative Anne Jobson who said: “One would have thought that until every inch of roof space that could have solar panels put on it, has solar panels put on it, then there is no identifiable need for a greenfield site, which is in conflict with our local plan, to be developed.”

Council officers had recommended the development for approval, concluding: “The benefits of the scheme in terms of renewable energy generation outweigh the visual and landscape harm, and the harm to the Duryard Valley Park, and the proposal is therefore considered to be in conformity with the development plan taken as a whole.”

The committee approved the development, subject to conditions, by a margin of six votes to four.