Solar farm on area's 'last green fields' turned down

A SOLAR farm on 25.5 hectares of land would destroy the 'last green fields' in a landscape near St Austell, councillors have argued.

- LEE TREWHELA Local Democracy Reporter

A number local councillors spoke out against a planning application to build the development on agricultural land which, they argued, would be seen from across St Austell Bay.

Anesco Ltd, a UK based energy infrastructure company, applied to build the solar farm with battery storage on land at Menear Farm, between St Austell and Treverbyn parish. It would operate for 40 years and generate enough electricity to power 3,880 homes.

Cornwall Council's planning department agreed it would result in the loss of 11.2 hectares of best quality Grade 3a agricultural land, but pushed for approval as the public benefits associated with the renewable energy scheme "are substantial and outweigh the level of harm identified to the landscape, a non-designated heritage asset and agricultural land". However, councillors from across the area disagreed and called for the proposal to be refused at a strategic planning committee meeting on Thursday.

Gary Hooper, of Treverbyn Parish Council, said while his council supported renewable energy, the scale and siting of the Menear Farm development "does not demonstrate adequate mitigation of harm to the landscape or the ecology".