'Relief' after solar farm plan near village rejected

Residents say they are relieved after major plans for a 185-acre solar farm near their conservation village were rejected – but they fear an appeal may be on the horizon.

Foxholes Solar Limited, which is part of SSE Renewables, had been looking to build a solar farm on farmland near Norwell, a small conservation village in Newark and Sherwood.

Concerns for the environment and impact on the small village were raised, prompting more than 150 objections to the plan, but the developer's agent argued the solar farm would have increased biodiversity of the land.

However, the plans were unanimously rejected at a Newark and Sherwood District Council planning meeting on Thursday.

If approved, the solar farm would have covered an area roughly the equivalent size of more than 100 football pitches, and generated clean, renewable energy for about 16,580 UK homes.

The agent said the overall biodiversity would have been increased with wildflowers, new hedgerows, and more waterways, while 16 skylark nesting spots would be built.

Speaking after the meeting, John Hobson, of the Norwell solar farm steering group, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he was feeling "incredible relief".

Hobson said: "We've been working on this since 2020, we've produced so many reports, and we thought we had got really good grounds for suggesting the planning committee refused it.

"So we were very worried when the planning officers decided to recommend approval.

"To have a unanimous decision today to reject this application has made the village very happy.

"There have been four schemes rejected by Newark and they have all been approved on appeal, so obviously we have concerns. We'll fight."

Lynne Johnson, of Norwell Parish Council, said the group was "delighted", but believed an appeal was "inevitable"

She said: "It gives you faith back in the democratic process.

"We think the appeal will be inevitable, but we have always felt strong on the grounds we were opposing this on, and it is not based just on emotion, and personal feeling, there are good reasons why this is a poor application."

The applicant was aiming to build the solar farm across fields next to Bathley Lane, and it would have been secured by a 2.4 metre security fence at the perimeter.

The council's own conservation officer had concerns over the scheme.

The fencing and work could have significantly altered the natural open landscape and setting of the heritage assets in the village, "creating a dominating and alien feature", the LDRS reported.

There would have also been a six-month construction period, with 14 heavy goods vehicles travelling along Bathley Road every day.

While the applicant pledged to widen the road, it did not prove enough to sway councillors.

Conservative councillor Sue Saddington, who represents the area, said: "We've heard the conservation officer has concerns, and the report states this development would cause harm.

"So I may ask, why are we sitting here discussing such a ridiculous application in a rural area?

"The impact on the heritage of the village, the environment, and the conservation, and listed buildings, will have a huge effect on the surrounding area."

The chair of the committee, Labour councillor Andy Freeman, added: "I am a great believer in renewable energy, but I say time and time and time again 'not at any cost'.

"For me this cost is too high.

"The impact on the conservation and heritage assets for me, as your chairman, is just too hard to bear."

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