Solar farm refused

Plans for a large solar farm on Green Belt land near Seaham have been unanimously rejected after residents said they would be left “surrounded” by solar panels, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.

Durham County Council refused permission for the scheme after hearing objections from nearby resident Celia Wright, who said the development would have a “monumental impact” on her family’s lives.

“Our house and surrounding garden will have solar panels on three sides of our property boundary. We will be surrounded,” she told the council’s planning committee.

“We spend a lot of time in the garden and have a vegetable allotment; the panels will literally be just over the fence.

“Who wants to live on top of a solar farm?”

Elements Green Renewables had applied to build the solar park on land east of Stockton Road, Seaham, which would have generated enough electricity to power about 16,000 homes and remained in place for 40 years.

The site straddles the boundary between County Durham and Sunderland, meaning planning permission was required from both councils.

But Ms Wright warned that the proposal would leave her family looking out “onto a sea of metal” and questioned why green fields were being used instead of rooftops.

“Why are we covering green fields when there are numerous opportunities for solar panels to be fitted onto buildings?” she said.

Ahead of Wednesday’s committee hearing, planning officers recommended refusal after ruling the development was “inappropriate”. 

A report said the proposal would harm the openness of the Green Belt and the surrounding landscape, as well as a “moderate-major” impact on the character of the area during its early years.

The application attracted 79 letters of support, with supporters arguing the project would help tackle climate change, improve energy security and create jobs, while generating enough renewable electricity to supply thousands of homes. 

In a statement, Elements Green Renewables said the development was temporary and fully reversible, adding that it had found no suitable non-Green Belt alternative with comparable access to the electricity grid.

The company said it believed the scheme’s “very special circumstances” outweighed any harm and that the project would deliver “clear and urgent clean energy benefits” while supporting economic growth and biodiversity.

However, the council received 16 objections, including from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the East Durham Action Group and Seaham Town Council. Concerns included the loss of agricultural land, harm to wildlife and the landscape, and the cumulative impact of renewable energy developments.

County councillors Andrew Harrison and Chris Fairs also objected to the plans.

Debating the proposal, Independent councillor Alan Bell described the site as “an absolutely stunning area”.

“If we put a solar farm on there, it would destroy it,” he said.

The decision came after the developer submitted an appeal against the council for failing to determine the application within the required timescale. However, council officers said they had not received confirmation from the Planning Inspectorate that the appeal had been accepted.

“It is extremely disappointing that this decision was made the day before this committee meeting,” the council said.