A SCOPING application for a solar farm across Worcestershire and Warwickshire has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
The proposal from Arrow Valley Solar Ltd would see the development span 1,700 hectares, or around 2,380 football pitches, generating 500 megawatts of renewable energy and include solar panels, a battery energy storage system, substations, and an underground cable route.
The underground cable route would run from Feckenham, through Abbots Morton, Dunnington, Bickmarsh, and South Littleton.
Residents have hit out at the application and believe it will spoil much of the countryside.
Alcester resident Ram Parmar said: “Many residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the scale of the proposal, its impact on agricultural land, local wildlife, rural views, and the potential effect on nearby homes and communities.
“There is a growing feeling that many people remain unaware of the extent of the project and its possible long-term consequences.
“As someone who has invested heavily in my family home and intends to remain in the area for many years, I am concerned about the cumulative impact this development may have on the landscape that local people value and enjoy.
“Numerous residents are now attending meetings, researching the plans, and seeking answers regarding visual impact, environmental effects, battery storage infrastructure, traffic during construction, and potential impacts on property values.”
Residents have clubbed together and launched a campaign group, called No to Arrow Valley Solar to oppose the application.
They say proposal threatens the area’s rich biodiversity and ecological balance. It would impact protected species, sensitive river courses, historic woodland, and hedgerows that provide essential wildlife habitats, migration routes, and nesting areas.
They also argue the development would create extensive fencing, continuous artificial lighting, and the loss of footpaths and bridleways would fragment habitats, disrupt wildlife, and restrict public access to the countryside.
Wixford Parish Council echoed residents concerns, mentioning the proximity to heritage assets including Ragley Hall and Capability Brown parkland.
A response to planning application consultation at Stratford District Council stated:
“This proposal has so many negatives that it is difficult to believe that it has been developed against a strategic framework. It is using valuable agricultural land with no evidence that any alternatives have been examined, it will harm heritage assets and damage tourism.
“It will increase the flood risk for villages in the area and present a fire hazard which may be outside the capability of the local fire brigades. Finally it will cause at least four years of disruption in many of the local villages with no obvious long term gain for those residents.
“This proposal resembles a “force-fit” to a major land owner’s requirements rather than a proposal that matches the communities needs.”
Visit: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110033 for more details.
