Solar farm to be built near M4 despite concerns

A solar farm capable of generating enough electricity to power thousands of homes will be built on farmland near the M4, despite concerns over its impact on the countryside.

Wiltshire Council has granted planning permission for Flaxlands Solar Farm at Flaxlands Farm between Royal Wootton Bassett and Hook.

The 49.9-megawatt solar farm on 87 hectares of land will operate for up to 40 years; the development will also feature a large battery energy storage system and new habitat creation areas.

Planning officers concluded that the site's contribution to renewable energy generation, energy security and carbon reduction outweighed concerns about its visual impact and the temporary loss of farmland.

After 40 years, the solar farm, which will occupy land on either side of Flaxlands Lane, will be removed and the site restored to agricultural use, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Twenty-nine objections were lodged, including one from Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council.

It said more than 1,000 vehicles over the building phase are "not ideal for the current road" and added that the solar farm would have a "glaring" visual impact.

Joann Sprules, a resident of nearby Greenhill, said she objected to losing green space.

"There are much more viable ways to install such solar farms - unused industrial estates, office/warehouse buildings and other brownfield sites," she said.

The scheme also attracted 25 letters of support, arguing that the solar farm was essential in tackling climate change.

It followed changes to the original proposals, which Natural England said would have affected the Flaxlands Manor County Wildlife Site.

Solar panels were removed from the protected grassland area, and the revised plans introduced additional ecological buffers, including protection for ancient woodland, mitigation for bats, skylarks, great crested newts and water voles.

Safeguards for the battery energy storage facility and strict traffic controls to cope with more than 1,000 vehicle movements during the six-month build period were also put in place.