Plans to build solar farm the size of a large village in Cornwall refused

There were fears the solar farm would mean the loss of 16 fields of agricultural land. Credit: LDRS

Plans for a solar farm the size of a large Cornish village have been refused.

Aura Power Developments had hoped to create a solar farm big enough to power 8,000 homes at Carnhell Green near Camborne.

The council’s planning department had recommended the plans for approval, saying the economic, social and environmental benefits outweighed the loss of farmland and would have made a valuable contribution towards the council’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

But a Cornwall Council planning committee refused the application by nine votes to two amid concerns the 49-acre solar farm would see the loss of vital agricultural land spread across 16 fields.

Speaking at the meeting, Jean Sharman, who lives opposite the proposed solar farm, said: “Whilst providing the opportunity for renewable energy is crucial, we also need to consider the potential implications it has for existing farming activities.

The firm said the farm would provide vital green energy.

"It is vital that we do not compromise the ability for farmers to continue farming and therefore contribute to the real environmental needs of this area.

“I have researched and can confirm that this land has been used for agricultural purposes for over 80 years and beyond.”

Michael Smith, representing Gwinear-Gwithian Parish Council, added: “We object to this proposal but please don’t think we are a NIMBY council.

"In 2010 we had our first solar farm, in 2012 we had our second solar farm and we were the first parish council in the whole of Cornwall to create a sustainable community fund.

“Putting the scale of the development into context, the largest village in our parish is Connor Downs which is just under 34 hectares, which is the amount of land the solar arrays will cover within the 50-hectare development, so the actual solar panels will be as greater distance as the whole of Connor Downs, which is a large village.

“Again, putting the development into context the parish currently sustains two solar developments totalling 29 hectares, so this development alone is almost twice the size of those developments.

"We as a council are convinced that the applicant has not provided compelling evidence that there is not suitable poorer quality area available nearby to avoid the loss of high-quality land.”

George Wilyman, representing Aura Power Developments, stressed the ecological need for solar farms due to the climate crisis, highlighting this year’s hottest July on record globally.

“As a direct measure against climate change, the UK government has responded by committing to decarbonising the electricity grid by 2035," he said.

"To meet this there is a requirement for a five-fold increase in solar capacity in the UK from around 14 gigawatts currently to 70 by 2035. The proposed development responds directly to this requirement."

He said there would be extensive landscaping proposals creating a biodiversity net gain and added that the agricultural land was of a type not considered best and most versatile.

Wilyman added that sheep grazing would continue during the operation of the solar farm, which would generate around £80,000 in business rates for Cornwall Council every year as well as providing jobs.

Credit: Lee Trewhela, Local Democracy Reporting Service