Giant solar farm plan near Shrewsbury

More than 35,000 solar panels could be built across two fields covering nearly 61 acres, or 25 hectares at Green Farm, about a mile north of Condover near Shrewsbury,.

Developers have submitted plans for the site, which they say would power more than 3,000 homes.

It comes just weeks after similar plans were unveiled for a solar farm made up of 20,000 panels in Wheat Leasowes, Hadley, in Telford.

Plans for the site near Condover were submitted by Monmouth firm the Solar Building Company at the end of last month, with developers saying it will help tackle climate change and that any potential impact from construction will be "not significant".

But it is claimed local residents have not been properly consulted about the scheme.

If it is given the go-ahead the solar park would take four months to build and the 35,800 solar panels would be a maximum of 10 feet above ground level. It is intended to operate for 25 years before the fields are returned to agricultural use.

A support statement said: "The proposed development will provide renewable energy and will contribute towards reducing the causes of climate change by reducing CO2 emissions; thereby ensuring future generations have access to low carbon energy and a high quality environment."

But Claire Degg, who lives close to where the site would be in the hamlet of Boreton, said residents had only found out about the scheme in mid-September when they received letters from Shropshire Council.

She said there had been little time given to respond to the applications, while no details have been given on when a public exhibition on the scheme will take place.

The public consultation period is due to end next week.

"We are not saying we are totally opposed to this, we are saying we don't have sufficient information. We haven't seen any of the people who are proposing this," she said.

No one from Stratus Environmental, the agent supporting the proposal, was available for comment today.