Plans for large Herefordshire solar farm approved

Plans for a solar farm covering an area equivalent to 60 football pitches have been unanimously approved by councillors.

Solar panels will now be set up in 46 hectares of fields around the River Frome in Herefordshire, between Dormington and Mordiford.

Applicants Conrad Energy of Oxfordshire said the array would generate enough power for 11,000 homes.

The size of the site was scaled down after concerns from nearby residents.

The applicants also agreed to increase the number of plants around the site to screen the panels, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Members of Herefordshire Council at a meeting on Tuesday heard there had been 14 objections, with one resident complaining about "a large metallic and glass structure of industrial proportions".

The same resident also said there would be "minimal local employment" as a result of the project and "no cheaper electricity or subsidised solar panels."

Ward councillor John Hardwick acknowledged there was "a fine balance between for and against" due to landscape impact.

He also said that although the solar farm would be dismantled after 35 years, the solar arrays would "last longer than me or many others in this room".

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