A 13.5MW solar farm, covering an area equivalent to 40 football pitches, has been approved near Poulshot in Wiltshire, despite controversy surrounding its visual impact assessment. The development, proposed by Devizes Solar Ltd, a subsidiary of Ampyr Solar Europe, will occupy 29 hectares of farmland half a mile outside the village.
Construction of the solar farm is expected to take around six months and will feature four banks of three-meter-tall ‘tracker’ solar panels that follow the sun’s movement throughout the day. The site will be secured with two-meter-high fencing and equipped with advanced CCTV systems. Power generated will be transmitted via an underground cable stretching 1.8 kilometers to the local electricity grid.
The project was scrutinized by Wiltshire Council’s strategic planning committee, a panel of cross-party councillors responsible for major planning decisions. During discussions, the council’s landscape officer admitted to having carried out his visual impact assessment without visiting the site, relying solely on desk-based landscape character evaluations. He found that the area did not meet criteria for being classified as a “valued landscape” and identified minimal concerns in only two out of nine checklist categories.
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Councillors expressed concern over this approach. Committee member Chris Newbury questioned the officer’s failure to conduct a site visit, highlighting the limitations of desktop assessments.
Representatives from Devizes Solar Ltd emphasized the benefits, stating the farm will provide clean electricity to 5,000 homes annually and enhance local biodiversity with net gains of 113% for habitat units and 25% for hedgerows.
However, local groups and residents voiced strong opposition. Mary Gilmore from the Campaign to Protect Rural England condemned the placement of such a large-scale solar installation in an area renowned for its natural beauty, warning it would industrialize the rural landscape. Nick Stokes of Worton Parish Council raised safety concerns about construction traffic on the busy and hazardous C20 road, which currently experiences high traffic volumes and frequent accidents.
Liz Bissett from Poulshot Parish Council represented the views of hundreds of residents who objected to the project, citing that the village already hosts an 80-acre solar farm. Adding another 40 acres – covering eight percent of the parish – was deemed excessive for the small rural community.
Local county councillor Tamara Reay urged the committee to consider insights from residents familiar with the area. Cllr Nick Holder criticized the lack of detailed traffic management plans and insufficient representation from council highways officials at the meeting. He successfully proposed a condition requiring consultation with parish councils on the construction traffic management plan.
Despite the controversies, the strategic planning committee approved the application by five votes to three, with one abstention, allowing the project to move forward.