Controversial plans for a large solar farm near Shap are set to be refused after council planning officers have recommended that councillors reject the scheme when the meet in Kendal for the councils strategic planning committee meeting next week.
The application proposes covering around 31 hectares of open countryside with solar panels and battery storage infrastructure for a period of up to 40 years. It has generated strong opposition locally and from across the UK, with more than 230 formal objections submitted to Westmorland and Furness Council and a petition signed by over 250 people opposed to the plans.
Westmorland and Furness Council planning officers have concluded that the development would cause unacceptable harm to the landscape and rural character of the area.
In their report to councillors, officers say the scale and siting of the solar farm would result in significant visual harm to the surrounding countryside, and that this damage would outweigh the benefits of renewable energy generation at this location.
Shap Parish Council objected to the proposal, describing it as excessive and warning that it would industrialise a valued rural landscape. The parish council also raised concerns about the impact on wildlife, nearby homes, narrow rural roads and the local tourism economy, noting that the site is comparable in size to the village of Shap itself.
Local residents have echoed those concerns, arguing that the development would change the character of the area, harm agricultural land and affect habitats for ground-nesting birds.
Only three letters in support of the plans were received during the consultation process, in contrast to the volume of objections.
The recommendation to refuse the application will be considered by Westmorland and Furness Council’s Strategic Planning Committee when it meets in Kendal next week. While the final decision rests with councillors, planning officers have said that the harm to the landscape and local environment is too great to justify approval.
If councillors follow the officer recommendations to refuse the plans, the decision will mark a significant moment for campaigners who say they support renewable energy in principle, but believe this scheme is in the wrong place.
The application could still after the council decision next week go to the Secretary of State on appeal and be determined by government planning inspectors who could overturn the council refusal of the application.
Then select "Add to Home Screen"
