Solar farm 'size of 100 football pitches' approved
A solar farm the size of about 100 football pitches is set to be built on agricultural land in Lancashire.
After securing the backing of Fylde Council's planning committee, Clifton Marsh Solar Farm will be constructed just south of Clifton, near the River Ribble.
Farming will continue on part of the 170-acre (69-hectare) plot, with sheep set to graze beneath raised solar panels.
The project is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 14,000 homes a year, saving the equivalent of more than 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
'Countryside designation'
The facility, south of the A584 Preston New Road, will be operated by European energy firm Vattenfall and will function for 40 years before the site is restored solely to farming use.
Councillors on the committee unanimously approved the 50-megawatt project, which is subject to 28 conditions, supporting a recommendation made by council planning officials who concluded the benefits of the installation would "outweigh the harm".
That harm included the acknowledged impact of the development on the site and its rural surroundings, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Although made up of green fields, the site is not within the greenbelt and council planning officer Rob Buffham told the committee the site "isn't in an isolated position".
He noted the presence of businesses and buildings in the vicinity which "diminish the importance" of the location's countryside designation.
However, he acknowledged it was "inevitable" that the solar farm, which will take about 14 months to complete, would nevertheless "alter the appearance of the site to [make it]... more industrial in nature... and that will significantly impact upon the landscape character... of the surrounding area".
He said one condition of the planning permission was that screening via hedges surrounding the development would be kept at least 6ft 7in (2m) tall.
'Community fund plans'
Newton-with-Scales and Freckleton parish councils objected to the development on the grounds of the combined effect of the scheme with other planned projects in the area.
However, Mr Buffham said there would not be any "inter-visibility" between Clifton Marsh and potential neighbouring schemes, because the former was so "low-level and so well-screened".
A Vattenfall spokesperson said it was considering creating a community fund "to deliver lasting benefits for local residents".
They said the scheme had been "carefully designed... to ensure that it delivers biodiversity benefits by creating habitats which will support a wide variety of wildlife".
Cover photo: Farming will continue on part of the site, councillors in Fylde were told
