Giant solar farm faces local opposition

Residents intend to make their voice heard

Plans for a giant solar farm stretching across four miles of North Devon farmland is facing growing local opposition.

The Beacon Solar project is being proposed by Galileo Empower for land at Holsworthy Beacon and is intended to be a ‘nationally significant infrastructure project’ with a capacity of over 100MW.

If it goes ahead it will be one of the largest solar farms in the UK.

Because of its size it will be decided on by the secretary of state not Torridge District Council although the authority will have a role to play in the process and is a consultee along with parish councils.

More than 315 people signed up to a Facebook campaign group ‘Stop Beacon Solar – Hands off Holsworthy’ in just a few days.

A public meeting will take place in Holsworthy Memorial Hall at 11.30am on Friday, October 31 arranged by the Devon branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) who have been very vocal against the rise in large solar farms in the county.

Torridge and Tavistock Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Cox will be in attendance.

Galileo Empower says climate change is accepted as being one of the greatest threats to society in general and the Beacon Solar project would be among the region’s “significant renewable energy developments”.

The project is currently in the pre-application stage with detailed environmental studies, technical assessments and community engagement taking place to “help shape the project’s proposals”.

“This stage is a chance for local communities, councils and other key stakeholders to share their views before the application is submitted,” said the developers.

An application will be submitted to the planning inspectorate in 2027.

The 2,700 acres proposed for the development covers six parish council areas including Thornbury Parish Council.

One workshop had taken place with the developers but councillors said little information had come forward.

The council’s view is that the proposed development is likely to have “negative consequences” in the areas of ecology, biodiversity, landscape, heritage, transport, public access and community benefit.

Thornbury parish clerk Michael Nattrass said the council would be formally documenting that it was against the proposal at its meeting on November 13 and hoped to join forces with the other affected parish councils of Holsworthy Hamlets, Holsworthy town, Sutcombe, Milton Damerel and Bradford and Cookbury Parish Council to raise concerns.

“One of the issues we have is that this development is going to take away farmland for food production and we will lose the abundance of wildlife. No-one wants to live around a solar farm and we suspect that house prices will fall.

“The decision on whether it goes ahead will be decided by government and the views of the parish, district and county councils will probably be ignored whatever we say but we will make our voices heard when the time is right.”

Stephen Boulton who is one of the people behind the Facebook campaign said there were other ways of achieving the country’s net zero targets including offshore wind which had less of an impact on people’s lives.

A 164 acre solar farm which has been built at nearby Pyworthy was also controversial.

And plans for a 300-acre 50MW development at Alverdiscott by Bulworthy Solar Ltd which will straddle Torridge and North Devon Council areas have been opposed locally.

Sir Geoffrey Cox recently gave his support to the no campaign after people turned out in force to his drop-in surgery at Alverdiscott to voice concern over the development.