Plans for large solar farm lodged with Melton Council

Downing Renewable Developments LLP wants to carry out the controversial development, which has sparked passionate local opposition, on 81 acres of agricultural land off Freeby Lane, Waltham-on-the-Wolds.

A full planning application has been lodged with Melton Borough Council with the applicant claiming it would generate electricity equivalent to that consumed by around 11,000 homes.

The applicants say in a report to council planners: “The proposal would provide a clean, renewable, and sustainable form of electricity and will also make a valuable contribution to the generation of electricity at a local and national level.

"The scheme would contribute to Melton Borough Council's progress in meeting its renewable energy target and would also assist in meeting national targets for both energy supply and low carbon energy development.

"Land between and beneath the panels would be used for biodiversity mitigation and enhancements and seasonal sheep grazing.”

If approved, the site for the Freeby Lane Green Energy Park would generate 42MW of energy for a period of 40 years and it could then revert to agricultural use if required.

Local opponents to the plan say the scheme will ruin an attractive area of countryside and take away valuable agricultural land when other sites could have been used nearby.

Julia Moore, who lives near to where the solar farm would be sited, said: “There is huge opposition to this planning application.”

The applicants say the solar farm would assist the borough council in achieving its aim for Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Downing, which operates green power assets generating renewable energy each year sufficient for 232,000 UK homes, says it carried out a comprehensive local consultation on the scheme before submitting its plans, delivering letters to 113 properties within a 1km radius of the site and holding community events at Freeby village hall in September and November.

Feedback forms were provided for attendees and the applicant says this information was fed into the final plans.