'Death knell for the countryside' - Local authority responds after MP brands approval of West Sussex village solar farm as 'unforgivable'
The decision to approve plans for a large solar farm in the Chichester district has been described by one MP as ‘completely unforgiveable’.
Chichester District Council has given permission for energy firm Renewable Connections Developments to build on 63 acres of farmland east of the B2133 at Wisborough Green.
The application was approved during a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday (December 3), which was attended by a number of objectors, including rock legend Mike Rutherford.
Arundel and South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith – who presented a petition in Parliament on Tuesday – has slammed the decision to allow the 25-hectare solar farm to be built on farmland between Wisborough Green and Loxwood.
He said: “This is a deeply damaging decision that will destroy open countryside for decades.”
In response, a spokesperson for Chichester District Council said: “As a council, we are required to follow national planning policy guidance.
"The planning committee carefully considered all of the information presented and weighed the evidence against this guidance. While acknowledging the concerns raised by some members of the public, the majority of councillors concluded that there were no valid planning grounds to refuse the application.
"The planning committee resolved to approve the scheme, subject to conditions and Section 106 obligations.”
Following the meeting, Mr Rutherford – co-founder, lead guitarist and bassist of the rock band Genesis and Mike and the Mechanics – said they would ‘seek advice’ about whether or not there was a case to call for a review of the council’s decision.
The council received more than 170 objections to the plans, with the proposals described as ‘a further blight on the West Sussex landscape’. Questions were asked about the location and about why the county highways team didn’t visit the site but rather carried out a desktop study.
Objections were also received from the parish councils of Wisborough Green, Loxwood, Kirdford, and Plaistow & Ifold.
Councillors raised a number of concerns during the meeting, such as the impact on wildlife and the landscape, and safety along the bridleways and the narrow Drungewick Lane, especially during construction.
While they expressed sympathy for residents, they had to follow planning policy and did not feel there was enough about the application which raised questions.
Wary also of the council losing an expensive appeal, the plans were approved by six votes to three.
Jonathan Plumb, Chief Operating Officer at Renewable Connections, said: “The application for the 20MW Wisborough Solar Farm in West Sussex has been carefully developed following several years of environmental studies, assessments, and design work.
"To ensure the delivery of a well-designed solar farm, appropriate for its surroundings, we also undertook community and stakeholder engagement. The proposed application received a positive recommendation from Chichester District Council officers and no objections from statutory consultees.
“Chichester District Council published a new Climate Emergency Action Plan this year and we believe Wisborough Solar Farm will support the delivery of some of the important initiatives within that plan. The solar farm has the potential to provide energy for up to 6,300 homes every year and displace approximately 139,000 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime.”
Mr Griffith said has accused Liberal Democrat councillors of ‘failing to protect rural West Sussex and failed its residents’.
He added: “This decision is completely unforgiveable. They have given speculators the ‘come on’ with their climate policies and have invited Renewable Connections to build all over the district’s farmland. They could have made a stand and rejected it outright, but they chose not to.
“I have petitioned the government for support to stop this. This type of solar farm is not needed and serves no energy strategy that benefits residents. Solar belongs on brownfield sites, on supermarket roofs, and on public buildings.
"I will continue to do all that I can to stop this, but the Lib Dems have sounded the death knell for the countryside because the door has now been thrown wide open.”
In response to Mr Griffith, district council leader Adrian Moss highlighted that councillors Gareth Evans and Charles Todhunter have been working – alongside residents – to ‘represent their communities and to make the strongest case possible within the current rules’.
Mr Moss added: “Cllr Todhunter voted against this application. It does Mr Griffith no credit to attempt to cover up all they have been doing.
“He and his colleagues had 14 years in government to sort out the planning system. It’s sad he prefers to criticise members of the planning committee for applying national laws and national planning policies, knowing full well they have almost no discretion to take into account local factors.”
Jonathan Brown, cabinet member for Environmental Strategy, described Mr Griffith’s appeal as ‘frankly quite alarming’.
Mr Brown added: “His government cancelled the coalition’s Zero Carbon Homes policy in 2016: the country has missed out on eight years of the routine installation of solar panels on urban development and other energy-efficiency measures. With the right policies there need be no trade-off between reducing carbon emissions, cutting the cost of living and protecting the natural environment.”