Solar farm plans on fields and grassland set to get go-ahead

TWO South Derbyshire solar farms - across dozens of acres of agricultural land and on coveted grassland next to a major car manufacturer - are set for approval.

- By EDDIE BISKNELL Local democracy reporter

The two schemes are a 56-acre site next to Toyota's Burnaston headquarters, and a 116-acre project between Lullington and Coton in the Elms.

Both are recommended for approval by South Derbyshire District Council officials at a meeting next week, despite opposition from residents, campaign groups and a number of officials.

They detail the loss of agricultural land and open space for growing feed, leisure and wildlife.

Plans for the Lullington scheme, submitted by Island Green Power, had once covered 173 acres and were rejected by the council in 2022, largely hinging on the impact on land used for food production.

Plans have since returned for a smaller portion of the same site, but with the same amount of potential energy creation due to improvements in technology, the developers say, generating up to 44 megawatts a year - enough to power 10,600 homes annually.

The amount of Grade 2 agricultural land (with Grade 1 being the highest) to be used has dropped from 26 acres to one, while the amount of Grade 3a has fallen from 58 to 32 acres.

District council officers indicate that previous evidence against the scheme was a 2015 ministerial statement that “compelling evidence” was needed to build solar farms on high quality agricultural land.