Green belt solar farm approved by Rushcliffe council

An impression of what the completed solar farm would look like

A solar farm will be built on fields in Nottinghamshire despite objections from councillors and some residents.

The installation, the size of 110 football pitches, is planned for green belt land at Church Farm in Gotham Road, Kingston-on-Soar.

One comment on the application described it as a "hideous tsunami of panels".

But Rushcliffe Borough Council heard it would power 14,000 homes and save around 22,500 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Paul Williams spoke at the meeting on behalf of two residents who live in "The Cottage" next to the site.

Mr Williams said the residents would be "imprisoned" by "photovoltaic prison guards" if the plans were approved.

"This proposed application would provide a hideous tsunami of panels and it would be clearly overbearing.

"Meeting our energy goals should not be used to justify the wrong development in the wrong location," he said.

Gotham Parish Council, Sutton Bonington Parish Council and Kingston on Soar Parish Council had objected to the plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The applicant, Renewable Connections Developments, said the development would make "a positive contribution towards reducing carbon emissions".

Council documents said it would cause "a degree of harm to the green belt" but that there would be "a limited degree of harm to the landscape".

Councillors approved the application with a number of conditions, including an agreement the applicant would ensure continued agricultural use on the site.