Planners say no to Catsfieldsolar farm bid
The plan had been recommended for approval by officers, despite 29 letters of objection.
Plans had been substantially amended from an initial application, which was refused last November.
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Hide AdThe size of the original application had been reduced by more than a half and the new application offered improved screening, with a woodland belt.
But planning committee members decided they were unable to support approval and felt the application should be refused broadly in line with the reasons given for the previous application in terms of its impact on open countryside.
The reason for refusal was given as: “The proposal with associated access, structures, fencing and CCTV cameras, would represent a significant intrusion into the countryside.
“The industrial type installation would be out of keeping with the rural character of the landscape and fail to protect or enhance the intrinsic character or beauty of this area of countryside.
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Hide Ad“The proposals to mitigate against the visual landscape impacts are considered insufficient to outweigh the harm resulting from the proposed development in an area of countryside.”
The proposed solar farm, known as a photovoltaic park, would have generated enough electricity to power more than 1,000 homes.
Planning officers have said there are no other brownfield or industrial sites, of a suitable size, within the catchment area, which would be able to accommodate a large scale solar farm.
The application has 22 letters of support.