Plans for solar farm rejected to stop county becoming 'Solarshire'
Newent councillor Gill Moseley said the development management committee must not overlook the impact of an approved solar farm which covers 28 fields nearby, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports."The cumulative impact of that would almost make us into 'Solarshire, not Gloucestershire'," she said.
Hartpury, Rudford and Highleadon parish councils said if the application was approved, it would mean at least 700 acres of farmland would be dedicated to solar farms within a five to 10-mile (eight to 16km) radius.The councils added that each of the three solar farms proposed in the Newent area would be among the largest five in England.Newent Town Council raised concerns about overdevelopment, overshadowing of properties, road safety, and the installation of solar panels on land successfully used to grow crops for more than 25 years.The committee voted to reject the proposals by eight votes to one with one abstention.
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