Shropshire solar farm to go ahead as refusal is overturned

A decision not to allow the 5MW, 19,000 panel solar farm at Henley Bank in Acton Scott made by Shropshire Council's south planning committee has been overturned by the Planning Inspectorate.

It comes after an appeal was lodged by landowner Rupert Acton and Bloombridge Renewables, the green energy firm behind the scheme.

The move is a landmark case in Shropshire as the original application for a solar farm on the site was one of those which sparked the formation of Save South Shropshire Countryside in 2014, a campaign group against large scale solar farms on agricultural land.

The original Henley Bank application, at the village near Church Stretton, was refused in October 2014, but a second, scaled back application was made last February.

Both were recommended for approval by council officers, but both were refused at committee for the same reasons – that the site was inside the protected Shropshire Hills area of outstanding natural beauty.

Now planning inspector Phillip Ware has overturned the second decision, allowing the smaller-scale solar farm to be built, to the joy of green energy supporters and dismay of objectors.

In his ruling, Mr Ware said: "In line with national policy, I have given the conservation of the landscape and scenic beauty of the area great weight. Major development should be refused save in exceptional circumstances and where it can be demonstrated that the proposed development is in the public interest."

But, he said, the "slight" level of harm the development would do to the landscape was outweighed by the green benefits.

Despite overruling planners, he said he would not demand the authority pay appeal costs as the decision to refuse was not unreasonable.