Plans for a solar farm between Lichfield and Tamworth have been given the go-ahead despite concerns about it taking over fields which could be used to grow crops.
A decision on the scheme in Clifton Campville was delayed in April after decision-makers at Lichfield District Council felt they hadn’t been given accurate information about the quality of the land.
The solar panels will be situated on agricultural fields at Highfields Farm on Clifton Lane, and will remain there for a 40-year period, after which the land will be returned to agricultural use.
The applicants described the 40-year period as “temporary”, but objector James Collier, speaking on behalf of local residents, said people had concerns about the visual impact of the panels as well as saying the being could be used to grow food.
The applicant’s representative Simon Chapman, however, said the benefits of the scheme outweighed the negatives.
He said the proposals would provide enough electricity each year to power 14,000 houses or charge 17,000 electric vehicles and that discussions about using the site for solar power had been taking place since 2019.
Mr Chapman said:
“While there have been concerns about the loss of agricultural land, we would highlight that there is only a small, isolated area classified as 3A land [good quality agricultural land] within the proposal, while the majority of the site is class 3B which is not considered to be best or most versatile.
“The proposal is for a temporary use, after which it will be put back to its current use.”
Simon Chapman
Planning committee chair Cllr Thomas Marshall questioned if the benefits of the scheme were being overstated, since solar panels are less effective in the winter and the farm is already capable of producing renewable energy via an anaerobic digester.
“The actual benefit of the solar production during December and January is only 20% of what it is in June and July.
“That to me has to be part of the process when you weigh up the benefit, because the true benefit of those solar panels really only seems to come into its own when our days are fairly long.
“When you consider the impact it’s having on the landscape, the real benefit is only to be observed, I think, for maybe four months of the year.”
Cllr Thomas Marshall
But other members of the planning committee felt the scheme was an important step towards the country achieving its goal of being carbon neutral.
Cllr Jeyan Anketell said:
“We are actually in a situation of great climate emergency and already falling behind our aim to have carbon neutral generation by 2050.
“It’s all very well talking about agricultural land being of high value, but if the climate degrades to such an extent as we’ve begun to feel it in this country as well as elsewhere, then it’s no good having fine agricultural land as we won’t be able to do anything on it one way or another.”
Cllr Jeyan Anketell
The scheme was eventually approved by nine votes to two.
