'Unprecedented' response to solar farm plans

9 hours ago

Peter DavisonLocal Democracy Reporting Service

News image — Campaigners say the solar farm would damage agricultural land

BBC A sign which says Stop Lime Down attached to a wooden fence. The sign is a mixture of red and white — Campaigners say the solar farm would damage agricultural land

Nearly 5,000 people have objected to the building of a huge solar farm.

The proposal for Lime Down Solar Farm covers 3,056 acres (1,237 hectares) of land between Malmesbury and the M4 in Wiltshire.

There have been 4,958 submissions to the Planning Inspectorate about the project, which campaigners claim is "unprecedented", with comments about issues such as loss of agricultural land, flood risks and noise pollution.

Will Threlfall, project development manager for Lime Down Solar Park, said: "We will respond to all relevant representations as part of the planning examination process and look forward to making the case for Lime Down Solar Park to the Planning Inspectorate."

PA Media An aerial image of fields, lands and countryside in a rural setting in Wiltshire — The solar farm would span more than 3,000 acres of countryside

Spokesperson from the Stop Lime Down campaign group, Sir Mike Pitt, said: "This is not a case of a few disgruntled neighbours. Nearly 5,000 objections represent thousands of homes, businesses, farms and communities.

"That level of opposition is unprecedented and should give serious pause for thought."

If approved, the Lime Down Solar Farm scheme would operate for 60 years with an export capacity of up to 500 megawatts – enough electricity to power 115,000 homes each year.

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It would include solar arrays, battery storage facilities, and a 22km cable route corridor through the county to Melksham.

As a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, the Lime Down planning application will not be determined by Wiltshire Council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

Instead, the Planning Inspectorate will listen to the arguments for and against the development before making a recommendation to the secretary of state for energy, Ed Miliband, who will make the final decision.

The current Liberal Democrat-led cabinet of Wiltshire Council opposes the project, as was the case with the previous Conservative-led cabinet.

A final decision is expected in late 2026 or early 2027 following the examination process, which is expected to take six months.

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