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A solar farm expected to power a water treatment facility has been approved despite concerns about the use of greenfield sites. The project, on land off Vicarage Lane in Diddington in Cambridgeshire, is expected to cover 45 hectares (111 acres) of farmland, making it equivalent to 63 football pitches. Huntingdonshire District Council approved the plans but parish councils in Buckden and Southoe and Midloe objected, stating greenfield sites should not be used until other options, including brownfield sites, had been "fully utilised".
Cell Energy Limited, the company behind the plans, said it had an agreement with Anglian Water to provide the company with energy. Edmund Thornhill, a local landowner who spoke in favour of the plans, told a meeting of the council's development and management committee , external on Monday: "There needs to be careful consideration around best use of land even if that use is for a finite period — the farm already provides food, housing and space for nature. We want to support energy production as well over the poorest land.
"The scheme would provide diversified income to help fund moving to more regenerative agriculture on the rest of the farm." The project is expected to operate for 45 years and produce 35MW of electricity. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said an underground cable would be built to Anglian Water's facility at Grafham Water, which the planning application said was a "very significant energy user". Buckden Parish Council and Southoe and Midloe Parish Council both argued "there should be no more solar farms on greenfield sites until all residential and commercial roof spaces and brownfield sites have been fully utilised".
Jon Neigh, Conservative councillor, said he could not see a reason to object to the plans. Green councillor Lara Davenport-Ray said renewable energy projects were "really important". The plans were approved with 12 voting in favour and one against.
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Source: BBC
