Public inquiry into Kemberton solar farm plan to begin

Shropshire Council said the proposal would have an "unacceptably adverse impact" on the green belt land

The fate of a scheme to build a solar farm on green belt land is set to be decided by planning inspectors.

Shropshire Council refused proposals for the 22-megawatt site on agricultural land at Hall Lane, Kemberton in Shifnal.

However, Vattenfall, the developers behind the project, appealed the local authority's decision from March 2023.

A three-day public inquiry into the plans is set to start on Tuesday at Shirehall, Shrewsbury.

Standing by the decision of its South Planning Committee, Shropshire Council said the development would have an "unacceptably adverse impact" on green belt land in the east of the county.

The authority also said the loss of agricultural land for farming and rural enterprise was unacceptable.

The original planning application attracted more than 120 objections.

The site lies just inside the council boundary, but is less than half a mile from the border with Telford and Wrekin and the neighbouring Halesfield industrial estate.

Swedish firm Vattenfall said the solar farm would generate enough electricity to power about 6,000 homes each year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 5,280 tonnes annually.

As part of the company's original application, it said the location was chosen due to a lack of available sites near national grid connections.

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