Somerset solar farm designed to power 10,000 homes approved

The site lies to the east of Pipplepen Lane, close to the northern edge of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

A solar farm designed to power up to 10,000 Somerset homes is to be built near protected countryside in Dorset.

Elgin Energy has got permission to construct the solar farm in North Perrott, near Crewkerne.

South Somerset District Council has approved the proposals, arguing the solar farm's impact can be mitigated.

But the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) said the site is the wrong location and has called for a delay on the plans.

Elgin intends to occupy the site for at least the next three decades.

It is close to the northern edge of the Dorset Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is deemed good quality land, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

While the actual solar site lies mostly within Somerset, the primary access for maintenance and construction will be from the Dorset side, off the A356 in neighbouring village South Perrott.

The solar farm would cover some 54 hectares, or around 133 acres

The 32MW solar installation would cover some 54 hectares (around 133 acres) and would be operational for 30 years - though this could be extended later.

Councillor Oliver Patrick, whose Parrett ward includes the site, said his constituents were widely supportive of the plan when the council's regulation committee met in Yeovil on Tuesday.

Mr Patrick told the committee: "It's my personal opinion that the visual impact is acceptable, especially when weighted against the wider public benefits.

"This site does not dominate the landscape - it's on low-lying land, and a solar park development is likely to nestle into the countryside."

'Sensitive landscape'

He added Elgin will plant around 10,000 trees and nearly 1km (0.6 miles) of hedgerow, for screening.

The firm currently manages the Sutor Farm installation near Wincanton, and it is seeking permission for another farm near the Tropiquaria Zoo between Washford and Williton.

Hugh Williams, chairman of the Somerset branch of the CPRE, said the decision on the solar farm should be pushed back, citing a possible change in government policy.

He said: "There is an effective national ban on solar farms on the best and most versatile agricultural land, due to the food crisis."

The farm could support over 10,000 homes

Mr Williams added it was a "highly sensitive landscape" in the setting of the Dorset AONB and "no amount of screening" would conceal the change of use as a major footpath, the Parrett Trail passes down the side of the site.

"This is the wrong location - there are many potential sites for solar farms in Somerset which are not next to one of the most important footpaths in the entire county," he said.

Judith Hall, a former geography teacher and lecturer who lives in the village, said: "Placing 120,000 glass panels on an area which equates to 80 football pitches in the catchment area of the River Parrett is a serious problem.

"It will have an impact on the hydrological process of the River Parrett - and I speak with some authority, having written a thesis on river drainage."

But Councillor Tony Capozzoli was dismissive of objections surrounding the River Parrett Trail.

He said the majority of solar farms have got footpaths, explaining he would rather see solar panels than wind turbines.