Seamer solar farm plans approved by councillors

The proposed solar farm will generate energy for up to 9,600 homes

A solar farm the size of 50 football pitches is to be built in North Yorkshire, after councillors approved the plans.

The 28.5 hectare site will be built on undeveloped land at Seamer.

According to the developer, French renewable energy firm Voltalia, the farm could generate enough electricity for up to 9,600 homes.

The plans received eight objections, with some residents concerned about the solar farm's impact on natural views.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, of the 87 residents who provided feedback on the plans, 68 were in favour of the proposal while eight objected and seven were "neutral".

Many of the objections raised by members of the public addressed concerns about the visual impact of the farm, the surrounding ecology including trees and soil, as well as possible "glare" from the solar panels affecting drivers.

The 28.5 hectare solar site will be built on undeveloped land at Seamer near Scarborough

No objections were received from the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, the Parks and Countryside Service, nor the Ministry of Defence or GCHQ Scarborough, both of which have signals intelligence bases in the area.

Scarborough Council has set conditions for the approval of the plans, which include a clause that there will be no loss of trees or hedgerows, while also noting that less than 2% of the land is classed as "best and most suitable" for agricultural purposes.

A council reports said: "The most dominant feature of the development would be the solar panels which would be repeated in rows or arrays, individually up to 380m in length.

"It is the intention that the solar panels and associated equipment would be "temporary", remaining in situ for 35 years following the site becoming operational", the report added.

The electricity would be fed into the national grid rather than providing power directly to local homes and businesses.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or send video here.