THE GREEN light is set to be given to a huge solar farm near Radford Semele despite hundreds of objections.
Members of Warwick District Council’s planning committee are set to grant plans for the solar farm on around 86 hectares of land to the west of Fosse Way and to the south-east of Radford Semele when they meet on Tuesday May 20.
This is the face of a raft of objections including from Radford Semele Parish Council, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western.
There have also been 320 of letters of objection from the public and a petition against the application was signed by 1,202 people.
There have been 17 submissions of support.
Radford Semele Parish Council objects on the grounds of the adverse effect on the rural landscape, loss of good quality agricultural land, adverse impact on wildlife, negative impact on the amenity of nearby residential properties, highway safety fears and increased risk of flooding.
The Ramblers Association are concerns about the impact on public footpaths.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has raised concerns about the impact on the nearby Brook Local Nature Reserve and several ponds within and close to the site. The site supports a number of protected and important species.
Mr Western said the industrial scale of the solar farm and its contribution to the cumulative impact of nearby developments would result in an excessive congregation of solar development that would irreversibly alter the landscape from agricultural towards industrial over-development.
Ward councillor Rebecca Davidson added the scale of the proposal did not fit in with the local area, the development would have an adverse impact on land use and local residential amenities and the cumulative impact of this and other solar developments within the local area would harm the rural character of the area. She suggested there were more favourable brownfield sites but an alternative site selection assessment had not been submitted.
Planning officers have recommended the committee grant the application. They say the proposed development would provide crucial renewable energy and they are firmly of the opinion the considerations in favour of the development clearly outweigh the harm.
