Solar farm bid approved for green belt land

A solar farm has been approved for green belt land near a village in Derbyshire, despite concerns about the loss of countryside.

North East Derbyshire District Council’s planning committee approved Ethical Power Development Limited’s planning application for land south of Green Acres, off Langer Lane in Wingerworth, during a meeting on Tuesday.

It said “very special circumstances” outweighed any potential harm to the countryside, adding noise and increased traffic would be temporary and not be detrimental enough to warrant refusal.

Wingerworth Parish Council had objected to the application over concerns about the impact on the environment and nearby homes.

The scheme involves a 7.5 megawatt solar array with panels no taller than 3m (10ft) on seven hectares of agricultural land, creating clean energy for 2,760 properties.

As many as 18 residents submitted 21 representations to the district council objecting to the scheme, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Debbie Ping, who spoke during the planning meeting on behalf of her mother, said: “This development, I believe, should be on a brownfield site.

“It’s far too near houses, and it will give an industrial look to the space between Wingerworth and part of Langer Lane, which is the Chesterfield borough part.

“The green belt really should be an absolute last resort, and I do not believe in this case that it is appropriate.”

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) objected on the grounds it would be an inappropriate use of green belt land, while Chesterfield Borough Council also raised concerns over the visual impact and its contribution to the country’s energy needs.

However, the district council’s environmental health officer, the Environment Agency and Derbyshire County Council all raised no objections.

The planning committee voted by six councillors to three, with one abstention, to approve planning permission, with conditions, including a land contamination assessment, a site investigation to establish any risks from any mining legacy, restricted construction times and that the land be restored after 40 years.

An Ethical Power Development spokesperson said the company was “proud and excited to bring forward this solar proposal”.

They added: “As well as producing clean energy, the project combats the ecological crisis by exceeding the biodiversity net gain policy with uplifts of 107% hedgerow, 68% habitat and 10% watercourse units.”