Solar farm in Essex rejected over green belt and reserve concerns

Rayleigh Green Limited said it would have created new habitats for wildlife to mitigate the green belt development

Plans for a solar farm in Essex that developers said would power about 16,000 homes have been refused.

Thurrock Council's planning committee said the proposal for fields near the Fobbing Marsh Nature Reserve would overdevelop green belt land.

The Conservative-led council has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in solar energy elsewhere in the UK.

The developer said the site would have supplied a "reliable source of clean renewable energy".

Rayleigh Green Ltd proposed installing the panels on 331 acres of land - across eight fields - south of Marsh Lane between Corringham and Basildon.

The company said it would create new habitats for wildlife to mitigate the development.

It said 49.9MW in electricity would be supplied to the National Grid each year - enough to power 16,100 local homes.

The government wants 100% of UK electricity to be produced without carbon emissions by 2035.

There were no objections to the Fobbing plan from the Environment Agency, Essex Wildlife Trust, Historic England and Natural England.

The application received 43 public comments online - 41 objecting and two in support.

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The committee visited the site before voting last week.

Conservative committee chairman Tom Kelly said: "We've been encouraging these types of developments in Thurrock so far.

"Looking at the national picture we're in a really bad situation with our energy costs and energy production."

However, fellow Tory, Paul Arnold, said: "What we are dealing with here is quite an ancient viewpoint of marshland and I really do sincerely believe this application will destroy that view."

Georgette Polley, also a Conservative, added: "If there was anything else being proposed on this green belt land of this enormity I don't think we'd even be entertaining it."

The committee, made up of five Conservative and three Labour councillors, voted unanimously to refuse it.

The council has about £1.5bn in debts following a series of high-risk investments, largely in UK solar farm developments.

Administrators for Toucan Energy Holdings 1 Limited - the company the council invested in - is selling off the portfolio of 53 solar farms.