Plans to build a modest solar farm near the Bath Skyline Trail have sparked heated debate ahead of a Bath and North East Somerset Council planning committee vote scheduled for Wednesday, March 18.
Dr Alyson Warhurst, who applied for permission to install 320 solar panels on the grounds of her Grade II listed property, Rainbow Wood House, aims to generate 120% of the home’s electricity needs. However, she claims the project has been targeted by a “determined and effective disinformation campaign” orchestrated by a vocal group of local objectors.
The proposal has drawn 185 formal objections, some coordinated through a professionally designed website, www.savebathskyline.com. The site clarifies its stance: “This is not opposition to solar energy. Solar can be the right kind of development but this is the wrong size in the wrong place.”
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In a detailed 42-page letter submitted via the council’s planning portal, Dr Warhurst responded to criticisms, highlighting that misinformation has skewed public perception. She lamented the distress caused by these tactics, emphasizing her background as a retired sustainability professor and local business founder committed to environmental stewardship.
“There has been a small group of determined detractors who have launched a social media and poster campaign spreading misleading information,” she wrote. Examples include the misuse of photographs to misrepresent the site’s location and unfounded claims that the project is profit-driven.
Among the objectors, Sue Wales expressed concern about preserving Bath’s natural beauty, warning the scheme could set “a dangerous precedent” for environmental degradation. Jack Coles added that the solar array could harm views from the Bath Skyline Trail, a cherished public and tourist resource within the World Heritage City.
In contrast, supporters like Clare Ford believe the project poses minimal visual impact due to its placement in a natural dip and appreciate the additional tree planting, viewing it as a positive step toward sustainability.
Council planning officers recommend approving the application, acknowledging that while the solar farm constitutes “inappropriate development in the green belt,” the environmental benefits—such as an estimated 30-tonne CO2 reduction during a climate emergency—outweigh the harm.
The final decision rests with councillors meeting at 11 a.m. on March 18 in Bath Guildhall’s council chamber.