By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
Developers have launched appeals against a council’s decision to turn down plans for two new solar farms near Newark.
The two developments would have covered a total of 145 hectares of neighbouring farmland off Hockerton Road in Caunton.
Although the two sites were proposed separately by Knapthorpe Solar Limited and Muskham Solar Limited, both companies were registered to the same address and run by the same people.
Both applications were rejected at a planning meeting in November as residents held signs reading: ‘Say NO to the solar invasion’.
Councillors said the plans would have led to the loss of good quality farmland for the 40 years that the solar farms had permission for.
Appeals have now been lodged against both decisions with the Planning Inspectorate, a government agency with the power to review councils’ planning decisions.
It will hold public inquiries, which have similar procedures to a court of law.
Witnesses from both the council and developer will be heard and cross-examined, and interested members of the public will be able give their own views.
A date and venue for these are yet to be confirmed.
Newark & Sherwood District Council will meet next week (May 28) to discuss their defence of the decisions.
The solar farm developers have made several changes since the plans were refused, including larger hedges and better rights of way, to address concerns which were raised by the committee.
Councillors at the November meeting claimed that the applications were essentially a single huge development which had been split in half for planning reasons.
Both farms would be capable of generating 49.9 MW – just below the 50MW limit which would require it to be determined by the Secretary of State for Energy Security instead.
Planning officers said the applicants were legally entitled to submit the two projects separately.
Councillor Sue Saddington (Con) said during the meeting that the council needed to get a firm policy “rather than ruin the countryside”.
“We will be known as Electricity City the way we’re going,” she said.
“This is total greed and nothing else. The applications are unacceptable individually because of their size, and are certainly unacceptable together.”
