Councillors have given the green light to a new solar farm on land near Lichfield.
The proposals will see 143,000 panels installed at the site off Main Road in Haunton.
Objections had been raised over concerns about the impact on the landscape.
Cllr Shirley Barnett, Conservative member for Colton and the Ridwares, said there were questions over the loss of agricultural land for such schemes. She told the meeting of the planning committee:
“The one thing that hasn’t been mentioned that we all need to eat.
“At some time somebody has to think about how many of these developments can we cope with.
“On a day like today it would generate no heat because the sun hasn’t shone.”
Cllr Shirley Barnett, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Deborah Baker, vice-chair of the planning committee, sought to correct some of Cllr Barnett’s assumptions about the way the technology would work. She said:
“You don’t need the sun to shine for solar panels to absorb energy, but you do need daylight.
“But the brighter the sun the more they absorb.”
Cllr Deborah Baker, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Jamie Checkland, Leomansley ward representative, told the meeting that the time had come for tough decisions to be taken on tackling climate change issues.
“I understand it’s difficult when a development is reasonably close to where you live.
“But we’re in a time now where we need to move forward and make big decisions.”
Cllr Jamie Checkland, Lichfield District Council
Liberal Democrat Chadmsead representative, Cllr Paul Ray, also said the downsides of the scheme did not outweigh the need for a greener approach to energy.
“I appreciate farms like this have some negative impact and this is a large scale one, but it seems the advice and assessment work done suggests it has a moderate impact on the wider landscape.
“Fundamentally, it does support the council’s climate change commitments.”
Cllr Paul Ray, Lichfield District Council
The plan was eventually approved by a 10-1 vote.
