Shropshire solar farm plans rejected

Councillors today decided whether to grant permission for the 19,000-panel solar farm to be built on 27 acres of land at Acton Scott, near Church Stretton.

The new proposals were a scaled-back version of the original plan for a 54-acre solar farm, which was rejected by members of Shropshire Council's south planning committee in October in the face of fierce public opposition.

Councillors unanimously rejected the proopsals this afternoon with one of their reasons being it would be on a site in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Tim Rogers, a planning officer for Shropshire Council, had said the plans by green energy company Bloombridge Renewables should get the go-ahead as they represented a "unique opportunity to allow the community of Church Stretton to make a significant contribution towards national and local renewable energy targets".

He added the scheme "would not give rise to unacceptably adverse impacts on the environment, local amenities or other interests of acknowledged importance".

But those against the scheme say it still would be a blot on the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – the main reason the project was refused the first time.

Peter van Duijvenvoorde, chairman of campaign group Save South Shropshire Countryside, said this second application had attracted even more objections than the first, with 90 opponents.

They include groups such as Eaton Under Heywood and Hope Bowdler Parish Council, Acton Scott Parish Meeting, Church Stretton Town Council, Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership, Shropshire CPRE, Natural England and Church Stretton Walkers are Welcome.

Speaking before today's meeting at Shirehall in Shrewsbury, Mr van Duijvenvoorde said the campaign group did not intend to stage a large-scale protest as they had done in October – when another application for Whitton, near Ludlow, was also thrown out – but they would be present at the meeting.

He said: "Although the proposal is cut down, it's still a substantial development in the heart of the AONB, so we're very hopeful it will get refused, and for the same reasons.

"While solar energy capture is generally desirable, there is no pressing need for the installation of outmoded technology in the AONB."

See tomorrow's Shropshire Star for the full story.