Swindon borough councillors who unanimously backed its plans for a huge solar farm on the old Wroughton airfield site were warned that the government might intervene, council spokesman Richard Freeman has revealed.
He told Marlborough News last week that the council believed in localism, which was why it gave itself planning permission for the project for 160,000 solar panels, believed to be the biggest in the country.
But Energy Minister Greg Barker has since announced its new policy is to curb the proliferation of major solar farms in preference for more urban-based schemes, a factor which will play a part in the forthcoming public inquiry into the Wroughton proposals ordered by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.
“We always knew that the government would take a keen interest in the Wroughton proposal, not least because of its proposed size,” Mr Freeman told Marlborough News Online.
“The council’s Head of Planning advised councillors prior to their debate about the issue in December that the Secretary of State would take an interest in it, especially as there are significant impacts, and there is opposition.
“The councillors from all parties who unanimously approved the application fully understood that it would then be subject to further scrutiny by a higher authority, in this case the government’s National Planning Casework Unit.”
And he added: “Both officers and councillors remain confident that the decision that was reached was the correct one, and we look forward to making our case to the planning inspector at the forthcoming public inquiry.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Lord, planning advisor to the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, within whose area the solar farm is situated, has welcomed the government’s policy change, announced in the House of Commons last week.
“There is a huge missed opportunity for locating solar schemes on or near existing buildings in urban areas,” Mr Lord told Marlborough News Online. “After all, it is within the urban areas where the power is needed most.
“I support the government’s plans to put far greater emphasis into making office, factory, supermarket and car park roofs as the priority for new solar projects.
“The draft Swindon Local Plan for example, is making provision for 119.5ha of new employment land and an additional 22,000 houses.
“The council should prioritise these new allocated areas and existing urban areas to meet their renewable needs rather than pursuing sites within the nationally protected landscape of the North Wessex Downs AONB.”
No date has yet been announced for the public inquiry.
