Lea Marston: Solar panels plan agreed despite green belt fears

The panels will be put on Environment Agency land as part of a government plan for the site

Thousands of solar panels are set to be built on green belt land, despite officials labelling it an "inappropriate development".

The government put forward the plans for the site in Lea Marston, Warwickshire, near Coleshill, as the land is used by the Environment Agency.

Councillors heard while the 6,292 panels would go on green belt land, there would be limited harm, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The proposals have been approved.

Planning officer Jeff Brown told the North Warwickshire Borough Council meeting "this is inappropriate development in the green belt", but added the benefits outweighed the harms.

The plan for the panels would be part of a wider masterplan for the Lea Marston depot, Luke Coffey, from the Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs, told councillors.

He said they would go on an area previously used for landfill after nearby lakes were drilled.

The development is expected to generate up to 3MW of electricity and operate for 25 years.