Farmers 'railroaded' by developers, MP claims

SOMERSET MP has accused a developer of “railroading” a local farmer to ensure a major solar farm could be built.

- DANIEL MUMBY Local Democracy Reporter

> MP Rachel Gilmour, inset; a photo of panels at an Elgin Energy solar project elsewhere in the country

(Thorpe Estate and Elgin Energy)

Elgin Energy applied in December 2021 to build a new solar farm north of Tropiquaria Zoo on the A39, near the village of Washford, on land owned by the Wyndham Estate.

Somerset Council's planning committee west threw out the plans in July 2023, citing the damage to protected landscapes and the loss of high-quality agricultural land.

This decision was, however, reversed by the Planning Inspectorate in late May 2024, with inspector Callum Parker ruling that both the Exmoor National Park and the Quantock Hills National Landscape would “not be adversely affected” by the proposals.

Tiverton and Minehead MP Rachel Gilmour has now used parliamentary privilege to accuse the developers of misleading the council - and called on the Government to create new legislation to prevent this from happening again.

Mrs Gilmour made her comments during a debate in the House of Commons relating to the Government's English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.