Battle lines drawn over plans for huge solar farm in south Warwickshire

VILLAGERS in south Warwickshire are fighting plans for a new solar farm which would cover more than 120 acres either side of the Fosse Way near Moreton Morrell.

Innova Renewables Developments has applied to Stratford District Council to build a solar farm to the north-east of the village. Called the Deer’s Leap Solar Farm, the planning application states it would generate 20MW of electricity, enough to power 4,662 homes.

It would, the firm says, offset about 4,339 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

But protesters from Moreton Morrell, Lighthorne Heath and Ashorne, who have started a petition against the scheme, claim that while it would prevent some emissions, it would destroy the area’s rural landscape and bring the surrounding villages no benefits.

They also point out that there are also more than 20 other solar farms in the district, including Innova Renewables Developments’ 96-acre solar farm at Newbold Pacey, and say that “enough is enough”

Dawn Cooper, from Moreton Morrell, said: “As a group of villagers we are not against the principle of solar energy, but this part of the district is being targeted by greedy solar farm developers and we already have over 1,000 acres of solar farms either in planning or operation within a five-mile radius of our parish, and don’t benefit energy wise from any of them. This is development on an industrial scale, as 1,000 acres of solar farms equates to four million solar panels at the cost and destruction of our rural landscape character.

“Yes, we recognise the need for green energy, but not at the destruction of our rural countryside and food producing agricultural land.

“Local planning authorities need to consider the cumulative impact of having so many solar farms in one particular area and not just because there is capacity on the National Grid to be used to fuel the UK’s city conurbations.”

The developers claim the scheme, if it gains planning permission, would provide about 7.5 per cent of the district’s annual electricity needs.

The drive towards green energy has also attracted supporters for the scheme from the surrounding areas. They point out that the land is not prime agricultural land, with one supporter adding: “I believe that this is the future, providing green and renewable energy and reducing the reliance on using fossil fuels.

“The application is for 40 years and will therefore be put back to its original state afterwards. Whilst the panels are in place, I know that the applicants will ensure that there will be plenty of space for agriculture use and plant hedgerows and grassland.”

In fact, the application states planting would include 208 trees and 1,700m of hedgerows. It also adds that the land would still be used for sheep grazing.

Other concerns about the scheme include its impact on traffic on the Fosse Way, loss of habitat, and the visual impact on the rural location.

A petition against the scheme can be signed at www.nosolarfarm.co.uk.