A councillor is furious that plans to build a solar farm on farmland near Stowmarket can go ahead after an appeal.
Andrew Stringer, from Mid Suffolk District Council, felt approval for a nearly 50 megawatt solar array on land at Woodlands Farm, Badley, went against its ‘roof over rural’ policy.
The plans, originally submitted by Elgin Energy in March 2022, were refused by the authority in early December 2023.
Cllr Andrew Stringer is disappointed the appeal was granted. Picture: Jason Noble/LDRS
Mid Suffolk worried about the effects the development would have on heritage assets when it rendered its verdict.
However, the planning inspector felt the ‘planning balance’ fell in favour of Elgin Energy, allowing construction to go ahead.
Cllr Stringer said: “This is very disappointing as we had approved guidance for a ‘roof before rural’ approach to solar energy.
“The loss of our best and most versatile farmland, coupled with providing a grid connection while refusing to license connections on nearby warehouses with huge solar potential just shows that current national decision-making has now gone beyond a joke.”
The 57.77 hectare site is expected to power 14,000 homes.
Cllr Stringer was concerned that roofs at the nearby Gateway 14 development would ‘remain bare’ while agricultural land would be taken up by solar panels.
He said while the Green Party supported efforts to rapidly decarbonise, energy projects should be placed in appropriate locations.
In addition, he raised concerns that both Norfolk and Suffolk would soon have more electricity capacity than was needed for local use.
Cllr Stringer feared for ‘transmission losses’ and environmental impacts of sending the energy elsewhere.
During the planning stage for Gateway 14, National Grid was offered the opportunity to get power generated from the roof of The Range but declined, Cllr Stringer said.
He added: “We now see exactly the contradiction which our recent ‘roofs before rural’ guidance was issued to forestall.
“Green councillors are repeatedly asked why The Range is not covered in solar panels and just as often by people concerned at the loss of food producing land.”