Large solar farm rejected near Leamington over fears it would 'urbanise the countryside'

Concerns that a new solar farm between Harbury and Ufton consisting of hundreds of panels, storage containers, a substation and a 15m-high communications tower would urbanise the countryside have prompted councillors to reject the plans.

Leicestershire Solar 1 Ltd had hoped to create the site on two parcels of land near to Middle Road Farm between the two villages but members of Stratford District Council’s planning committee voted against the scheme by six votes to five at their meeting this week.

Ward member Cllr Louis Adam (Lib Dem, Long Itchington and Stockton) told the meeting: “This is a very difficult application for me, I do like to support solar in our district and even in my ward. I voted to approve the climate emergency and I accept that this means compromises have to be made.

“But we have to ensure that from the point of view of our residents, the impact these developments have are sensitive to, and inclusive of, the communities we represent as they have to live with them. We should not let the solution to our climate problems take away what we are trying to save.

“I don’t bring this to committee lightly, there is a lot about this application I do support. However, the reservations that I do have can’t be overlooked.”

"Topography is extremely important in this case. Every property to the west of Ufton including the pub garden of the White Hart will directly overlook the northern part of the site.

“I feel more work is needed to make it right and would urge that the application is refused now so that it can be amended to exclude the more damaging northern parts of the application.”

Annabel Roberts, representing the applicant at the meeting, explained the site would provide enough energy to power 14,500 homes and that the solar panels would be positioned in such a way to allow sheep to continue grazing in the fields.

A number of councillors spoke in favour of the scheme but Cllr Anne Parry (Con, Wellesboure East) proposed that planning be refused.

She said: “I am a great advocate of solar energy but when it is in the right place. My biggest issue with this particular application is the split site because, in my view, the harm is then more enhanced.

“No amount of landscaping will overcome the issues that we have here - it is a very large area so for me it fails on design, scale and layout because we have two disparate sites and because you have solar panels that track and turn I feel that has an urbanisation impact on the village of Ufton.”