Solar farm approved on appeal after 378 objections

A decision to refuse permission for a new solar farm has been overturned on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate.

East Lindsey District Council turned down the application, for land next to Sotby Woods in the village of Hatton, Lincolnshire, in October, after hundreds of people objected.

Opponents cited fears about the potential impact on the landscape, which includes a Grade II-listed farmhouse, but the inspectorate said the adverse effects would be "decisively" outweighed by the benefits of the scheme.

Victoria Atkins, the Conservative MP for Louth and Horncastle, said the people of Hatton would be "devastated at the news".

Applicant Push Energy previously said the site would power up to 21,000 homes, help meet net-zero targets for carbon emissions and enhance biodiversity.

It would produce 50MW of electricity and include a 50ft-high (15m) security and communications tower, surrounded by a 7ft fence.

The plans were were initially approved by the council in 2023, but a campaign group won a judicial review of the decision, which was quashed by a high court judge.

A second application, submitted earlier this year, received 378 objections.

The inspectorate conceded that the development would have "some adverse" effects on the character of the landscape, but these "would be limited and localised", in part due to "mitigation planting" around the site.

Its report concluded: "The imperative to tackle climate change, achieve net zero targets and contribute to energy security... clearly and decisively outweigh those harms."

In a statement, Atkins said: "This is another example of local people paying the price for the government's rushed and botched net zero plan.

"Our county is the breadbasket of the country and should be being protected for our nation's food security."

Under the plans, the solar farm would be decommissioned after 40 years.

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