Farmland solar site approved despite objections

A solar farm with more than 83,000 panels has been approved for farmland, despite objections from residents.

Durham County Council's planning committee backed proposals by Grupotec Solar UK for the Benridge Solar Farm near Blackhall Rocks, which developers said would operate for 40 years.

Lucinda Bird's family owns the land and she said it would help secure the future of their farm by providing income to reinvest into it.

The application attracted two letters of support from local businesses and 67 letters of objection, with residents saying they could "no longer drive for more than 30 seconds" without seeing a solar farm.

Speaking against the application, resident Nikita Garner, who lives at Hesleden Hall Farm, described the proposal as "a large-scale industrial development in the heart of the countryside".

"I was born and bred in County Durham," she told councillors.

"I can no longer drive for more than 30 seconds without another solar development coming into view.

"The concentration of them is steadily changing the landscape, heritage and character of where we grew up."

However, the Reform UK-led council's planning department supported the scheme ahead of the planning committee's decision on 29 July, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The company said the project would provide reliable long-term income for the farming business, create up to £10m of construction opportunities for local firms, contribute about £200,000 a year in business rates and establish a £24,000 annual community benefit fund.

During the debate, planning committee chairman Scott Woodhouse said councillors were constrained by national policy and recent planning appeal decisions.

"We're between a rock and a hard place," he said.

"We have had two appeals overturned by the government.

"As subsidies are being removed from farmers, we will see more and more of them moving this way."

Reform councillor Jackie Teasdale added: "I disagree with this solar farm but we are held by central government.

"To appeal this would cost the council taxpayer millions - I feel stuck with the decision."

And Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Wilkes backed the scheme for its impact on the landowner, saying: "This is going to benefit a family that can keep farming."

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