Craven Arms solar campaign group calls for face-to-face debate

Landowner Rupert Acton is the man behind the application for a 6,500kW solar farm at Acton Scott, near Craven Arms.

A group set up to oppose the plan today called for a face-to-face debate with Mr Acton, an invitation he has declined.

Campaigner John Phillips, a retired businessman who runs a B&B near Flounders' Folly, said a "small team" of councillors, farmers, businessmen, residents and holidaying visitors had got together to object to the development.

Mr Acton wants to generate electricity by sitting solar panels in a field at Henley Bank, near the A49 main road between Church Stretton and Craven Arms.

But Mr Phillips, 65, said: "The complex, which will be in place for at least 30 years, will be overlooked in its entirety from parts of the Shropshire Way, from Flounders' Folly and the ridge between Woollston and Whittingslow.

"Perimeter fencing, security lighting and CCTV cameras will be installed on the site.

Acton Scott is within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the farm featured in the BBC series The Victorian Farm.

Mr Phillips said: "Many hill walkers, horse riders and cyclists have enjoyed relaxing in the tranquillity of this unspoilt, rural environment for many years.

"Once you create a precedent, development like this could spread to areas like Wenlock Edge and the Long Mynd.

"Many residents in this small hamlet have fears that their views will be overridden."

He added that government thinking had changed on solar panels, encouraging them on the roofs of buildings where possible, which he thought was a much better solution, which plenty of available sites in the area.

He said he wanted to "extend an invitation" to Mr Acton for an open debate in front of a live audience.

But Mr Acton said: "There was a public consultation about two months ago in the village hall, so I'm not sure why we need another one.

"Anybody was welcome to come along to that, comment on the application and make any suggestions they wanted to.

"Subsequent to that quite a lot of extra screening was put into the proposal."

He said there had also been a face-to-face debate at the Acton Scott Parish meeting, which was open to the public.

He said the campaign group were "perfectly at liberty" to object.

"They should write to the planning authority and make their representations to the planning department," he said.

Parish councillors and residents are also objecting to a 43-acre solar farm between Caynham and Whitton, near Ludlow, which is also currently being considered by Shropshire Council planners.