THE RURAL parish of Alkington will house a third large-scale solar farm development after councillors approved plans for a development at Heathfield.

Proposals for a 5MW development, which would provide enough power for 1,200 homes, were supported by councillors at a meeting of Stroud District Council’s Development Control Committee on Tuesday.

Exasperated Alkington parish councillors pleaded with the committee to reject the plans arguing in a statement that “their corner of the district is a dumping ground for the green energy quotas of the district”.

With approval of this scheme, there is now planning permission in place for three solar farms in the parish with one at Upper Huntingford and another near Middle Wick.

District councillor for the Vale Ward, Penny Wride, argued in a statement read out at the meeting that “the accumulation of three solar farms is in contrary to the NPPF” (National Planning Policy Framework) and that there would be “no national benefit in this third solar farm”.

Cllr Wride also said that the parish’s tourism industry would suffer at the cost of more jobs than the solar farm would create.

The solar farm would be built adjacent to the railway line on a field at Actrees Farm which is owned by Sue Williams.

In a letter submitted to the council Mrs Williams wrote that the solar farm was part of a plan to diversify the farm after being forced to sell their dairy herd earlier this year:

“As part of our diversification we looked at the farm as a whole. We identified the land that was the least economic; this was primarily due to excavations caused when the railway was constructed.

“We have worked to improve the land without significant success; as cropping fields they are unviable and for stock they are at the back of our farm.

“In an attempt to secure the farm for the future we have applied for solar panels on these fields.”

Following a brief debate, councillors agreed to support the proposals with six voting in favour and three councillors abstaining.