AN organisation which aims to protect the countryside has said it is ‘disappointed’ by plans for a 29 acre solar farm, which were submitted to West Devon Borough Council recently.

The planning application by agents Aardvark EM Ltd on behalf of Murex Martin Solar Limited is for the installation of a solar pv array, with a site area of 11.82 Ha, an estimated output of 5MW and approximately 19,230 panels with associated infrastructure, landscaping, access and cable route on land at Martin Farm, Whiddon Down.

In a report submitted along with the planning application, the agents said that detailed assessments had been undertaken in relation to the impact on landscape and visual impact, ecology, heritage, flood risk assessment and an assessment of possible impacts during the construction and operational phases of the development.

The report said the proposed scheme would have minimal impact on the continued agricultural activities while delivering renewable and low carbon energy and that the rural site meant there was limited neighbouring unconnected properties that could be affected by the scheme.

It also said the proposal represented an opportunity for West Devon Borough Council to increase renewable energy generation and thus meet its own objectives as well as contributing to the UK’s climate change commitments.

But Penny Mills from CPRE Devon (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England), said that the organisation was very disappointed that ‘yet another’ solar farm had been proposed on agricultural land.

She said: ‘There are already 3,780 acres of farmland in Devon alone which have either already been approved or are in the planning process for solar farms. This is not only a blight on the countryside but a waste of much-needed food producing land and this proposal is far too close to neighbouring homes.

‘This proposed solar farm is in fact a power station and represents industrialisation of another large area of countryside.

‘Our precious countryside is becoming littered with these “greyfield” sites. Let’s keep our pastures green!

‘West Devon is already facing the largest scheme in this part of Devon at North Tawton (143 acres), which is still pending a decision.

‘The thousands of solar panels that would be needed would stop sunlight reaching the ground, would reduce the amount of vegetation that grows and would therefore reduce the land’s agricultural potential.

‘Thus there is nothing green about the proposed solar farm.

‘There is no need for a power station spoiling the countryside.’

Dr Philip Bratbury, CPRE Devon’s renewables spokesman, added: ‘The information supplied by the developer is unsatisfactory. It does not explain how the homes would be supplied at night and in winter. It does not mention how many millions of pounds of subsidy electricity consumers would have to pay the developer to make the solar farm viable.

‘It does not explain how disruptive the random and intermittent amount of electricity it might produce would be on the grid system and how proper power stations will need to operate in a less efficient way than they are designed in order to maintain a stable electricity supply.’

A spokesperson for Aardvark EM Ltd said: ‘Aardvark is acting on behalf of the applicant Murex Energy in this scheme.

‘We first started looking at the possibility of a solar array on the farm back in 2012 and have been working in the intervening period on designing a scheme that would be considered acceptable in line with development plan policy and against environmental considerations and concerns of the local community.

‘Surveys and assessments of visual and landscape impact, heritage, archaeology, ecology and flood risk have all been undertaken and the conclusions contributed to the final submitted scheme. For example, a number of the original fields considered for the scheme were discounted and the size of the proposed site reduced by nearly 40 percent.

‘Local community consultation has been undertaken and the feedback received was submitted with the application and the applicant has ensured that the concerns were addressed in the application documents submitted.

‘The applicant, in partnership with the farmer, has submitted a full planning application to WDBC for consent for the proposed development.

‘During the operational lifetime of the scheme, the array is anticipated to generate and deliver approximately 4,645MW of electricity into the local grid per annum, which is the equivalent of 1,143 homes based on the national average consumption, whilst also allowing continued use of the land for grazing livestock under the panels.

‘As the development is fully reversible, at the end of the operational lifetime the scheme will be fully decommissioned and the site can continue in agricultural use so there will be no break in its productive use as farmland.

‘The fields that have been identified for the site are considered low grade and not the best and most versatile available to this part of Devon.

‘Murex has offered a local community benefit scheme for the lifetime of the scheme to the parish council to be used for local community projects such as a fuel poverty scheme.’

The application is due to be considered by West Devon Borough Council in the coming months.

To view or comment on the application, visit www.westdevon.gov.uk/planning