CALLINGTON town councillors were left angry and disappointed after learning a new solar farm would not be providing the community benefit that was marketed as part of consultation events, prior to its application being submitted.

The town council has called for a formal apology from Cornwall Council following the news that the Haye Lane solar farm, on the edge of the town, will not be providing the £25,000 per year for the lifetime of the development, which was pledged in the applicant's promotional material.

Instead the applicant will be offering a one-off payment of £20,000.

When the application was presented to both the town council and Cornwall Council's strategic planning committee, the promotional material included details of the proposal to give £5,000 per MW installed, per year, to the town council for community benefit. The 5MW farm would therefore produce an annual yield for the town of £25,000.

The town council voted to oppose the application and requested the strategic planning committee to do the same, but in 2011 the solar farm was given permission by the committee by eight votes to seven.

Cllr Andrew Long, Cornwall Council member for Callington and chair of the town council's planning committee, said: 'The residents of Callington in general and Haye in particular, will rightly feel very let down by the system.

'We have asked the senior legal officer of Cornwall Council, Richard Williams, to explain to the town why it was that a unilateral undertaking given by the original developers was not signed once permission had been given, and why the town council was not informed at the time of the change of circumstances.'

At the last planning meeting of the town council members were highly critical of the current situation.

Town clerk Helen Dowdall said: 'The application went through but we were told that nothing was mentioned about the community benefit money for Callington in the planning conditions.

'Our residents didn't want the farm, and the only consolation we had was the money earmarked for the community. We have been disillusioned by the whole process.

'This illusion of receiving money was clearly not going to happen and Cornwall Council needs to be held accountable for not ensuring the money for community benefit was there.'

Cornwall Council's legal officer is expected to attend a meeting of the full council in the new year.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said community benefit payments were encouraged by the Government but were not a factor in deciding whether or not planning permission for renewable energy schemes should be granted. As a result the council was unable to compel developers to sign agreements securing these benefits.

'The volatility of feed-in tariff rates means that there are occasions where developers amend their community benefit offer and this occurred with the Haye Lane development, alongside a change in the developer of the site,' said the spokesperson.

'The Government is aware of these issues and it is anticipated that it will be releasing guidance early next year and Cornwall councillors will be considering this matter further in the light of that guidance.'