New proposals relating to a major solar farm project on the Isle of Wight could go before councillors for a decision.
In her first appearance at Yarmouth Town Council (YTC) since the May elections, Reform UK’s Debbie Conlin said she had called-in plans regarding the 42-hectare Barnfield Solar Farm on land east of Wilmingham Lane, near Thorley.
A call-in is a request for a planning application to be decided by the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee.
Low Carbon Solar Park 17 submitted a controversial proposal to vary conditions attached to a September 2023 permission for the Barnfield Solar Farm development, which has not yet begun.
Conditions in question relate respectively to issues such as surface water drainage, public footpath protection and noise impact.
The planning consent is due to expire on September 8, in line with a condition to begin development within three years.
DWD, the developer’s agent, said:
“Due to significant grid delays associated with Barnfield Solar Farm, the applicant has not yet been in a position to proceed with any of the workstreams required to fully deliver it post-consent.
Article continues below this advertisement “This section 73 application is being submitted to make minor amendments to the planning permission and pre-commencement conditions in order to prevent Barnfield Solar Farm from expiring by installing the District Network Operator (DNO) substation foundations.
“Crucially, the amendment is not seeking to reduce, or water down, the details that the pre-commencement conditions require.”
DWD said the delay in connecting to the grid is due to factors entirely outside the applicant’s control.
The consultants said Barnfield Solar Farm still has a grid offer and will make an ‘important contribution’ to energy security in due course.
They claimed it will generate around 28 megawatts of electricity, enough to power over 9,300 homes per year.
Cllr Conlin said she had been to see Cllr Paul Fuller, chair of County Hall’s planning committee, about the solar farm.
Former Isle of Wight councillor Peter Spink, who serves on YTC, said depending on the outcome of Cllr Conlin’s call-in, the application will be decided by a council officer or the planning committee.
He said:
“I’ve seen some of the correspondence and I thought it was clear that Ollie Boulter (council planning chief) was saying he’s going to send the papers to Paul Fuller and that Paul Fuller would decide whether to call it in or not in discussions with the various officers”.
Cllr Spink previously objected to the application. He told planners:
“The pre-commencement conditions that the applicant seeks to vary were correctly imposed on the recommendation of officers and were agreed by the applicant.
“Accordingly, the correct course for the applicant would have been to comply with the conditions, and then apply in a timely manner for their discharge.
“The applicant chose not to pursue the correct procedure and is now at risk of being unable to commence the development within the required period of three years.”
Yarmouth Town Council was also among the critics of the latest proposal, telling planners the original conditions remain ‘relevant and reasonable’.
Fields are needed to grow food.
Especially in the current world situation.
Solar panels can be, and should be installed on the roofs (rooves) of of the hundreds of new build houses being passed through planning.
You can even get solar panels that look like roofing tiles.
It would be lovely if our Council preserved the open spaces.
How about putting solar panels on the Vestas roof instead?