Solar farm developments approved despite local opposition in UK

Solar farm developments are facing both local opposition and successful planning appeals across the United Kingdom.

In Somerset, a planning inspector overturned a decision by the Bath & North East Somerset Council to allow Conrad Energy (Developments) II Ltd to build a solar farm on 28.2 hectares near Bath. Despite acknowledging “significant” harm to the Green Belt, the inspector classified the site as “Grey Belt,” allowing the project to proceed. The farm is expected to power over 5,000 homes and will utilize the land for sheep grazing during its 40-year lifespan.

In Cambridgeshire, a solar project near the hamlet of Diddington has been approved by the Huntingdonshire District Council. The 111-acre site, leased to Cell Energy, Ltd, will provide 35MW of electricity to a nearby Anglian Water facility. Local parish councils have objected to the use of greenfield sites, arguing that brownfield options should be exhausted first. The project is slated to last 45 years before the land is returned to agricultural use.