Opinions divided on plan for solar farm

A SOLAR farm which would generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 15,730 houses has been recommended for approval, despite the concerns over the development’s impact on the countryside.

Hambleton District Council’s planning committee will hear that the proposed 49.9 megawatts project would be based on a 226-acre site near the villages of Kirkby Fleetham, Little and Great Fencote, to the north of Leeming Bar.

Lightsource BP, a global firm involved in developing and managing large-scale solar projects and smart energy, said the scheme would result in 19,800 fewer tonnes a year of carbon dioxide emissions from energy generation – the equivalent of removing 4,210 standard cars from the road each year.

The proposal has been designed to accommodate sheep grazing beneath and between the rows of solar panels, to maintain meadows on the site.

The proposed scheme has split opinions in nearby villages, but those in support of the plan form the majority to have submitted views to the authority.

Yvonne Luettke, who lives in Kirkby Fleetham, raised concerns over 30 heavy goods vehicle journeys a day to the site during the five-month construction representing a “danger to pedestrians, dog walkers, horse riders and cyclists” using the narrow roads.

However, another resident of the village, Chris Coop, lodged his support for the application in a letter to the authority stating: “Nobody will see it. Nobody will smell it. Nobody will hear it. What’s not to like?”

The council’s planning officers said the development would have a “detrimental impact” on the countryside, but stressed they considered this would be limited due to the mitigating landscaping.