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11
Dec
Councillors give verdict on 164-acre solar farm between Harrogate and Ripon
Councillors have approved plans for a new 164-acre solar farm between Harrogate and Ripon.
Knaresborough-based Harmony Energy tabled the proposal, which would be based on agricultural land between the villages of Wormald Green, Bishop Monkton and Burton Leonard, close to the A61.
North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee approved the plan at a meeting yesterday (December 10).
The scheme would have the capacity to generate up to 43 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 12,000 homes.
It will include rows of solar panels protruding three metres from the ground, a substation, pole mounted CCTV, fencing and landscaping. An access road would be built off the A61.
Frances Nicholson, development director at Harmony Energy, told the committee that the scheme would help to reduce carbon emissions in the area.
She added that the proposal had been created in consultation with the land owner, who wished to “diversify” the site.
Ms Nicholson said:
The proposed development is temporary in nature, which means this resource is not permanently lost. The project would support the diversification of the farm business while also making a significant contribution to meeting our climate change targets.
However, local residents raised concern over a loss of agricultural fields and the potential for flood risk.
Cllr Keith Townson, representing Burton Leonard Parish Council, told the committee:
Burton Leonard Parish Council and villages are not against solar farms. However, many consider that agricultural land should be used to grow food either for humans or for animals that provide for us.
There are more appropriate sites for solar panels than green fields.
Council case officer Kate Broadbank pointed out in her report that the site is used for the growth of crops for animal feed.
Ms Broadbank said this had been balanced against the “significant weight that should be afforded to the benefits of provision of renewable energy”.
She added:
Resting the land from intensive agriculture would likely improve soil health by increasing the organic matter in the soil and improving soil structure and drainage. It is also acknowledged that the land remains available for grazing under the panels and can still be used for the purposes of agriculture and food production.
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