Residents' blast at Space Walk solar farm plan

A SIGNIFICANT stretch of the rural Somerset Space Walk could soon be dominated by a giant solar farm.

- DANIEL MUMBY [e-mail]

The Somerset Space Walk stretches along the length of the historic Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, beginning at the halfway point near Maunsel Tea Rooms and stretching out to near the Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton and the Morrisons supermarket in Bridgwater.

The canal, which is managed by the Canal and River Trust, is predominantly rural in nature, making it a popular location for walking, cycling and leisure activities such as paddle-boarding - with Somerset Council aiming to make improvements at either end as part of its Taunton waterways strategy and the government-funded Bridgwater town deal.

But much of this natural beauty could soon be altered if plans go ahead for a massive solar farm - land equivalent to 130 football pitches on a large section of the route, which could be operational for at least the next 40 years.

IBV Fordgate Solar Ltd applied in late August to build the solar farm on 94 hectares (232 acres) of active farmland at Fordgate Farm, in the hamlet of Fordgate, which forms part of the North Petherton parish.