Plans for huge 70-hectare solar farm close to Northamptonshire village denied by Secretary of State

Plans for a massive 70-hectare solar farm next to a rural Northamptonshire village have been denied planning permission by the Secretary of State.

The site would have stretched across two fields between Gayton, Rothersthorpe and Milton Malsor.

The proposed development would have created almost 50MW of energy - the equivalent to powering more than 13,000 homes - but had previously been refused by West Northamptonshire Council in October 2022. The applicant, renewable energy firm Anesco Ltd, lodged an appeal against the refusal in the hope that the decision would be overturned and given permission by the government’s planning inspectorate.

The planning inspector assigned to the case recommended that the appeal be allowed and planning permission granted, however the decision was overturned by the Minister of State for Local Government Simon Hoare, on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Many consultees raised objections to the application in its initial proposal, including Gayton, Blisworth, and Rothersthorpe Parish Councils, the Canal and River Trust, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Northamptonshire and the Local Highways Authority. MP for the area, Chris Heaton-Harris also wrote to the council to support his constituents’ objections to the solar farm.

The Secretary of State dismissed the plans on the grounds that the introduction of panels and other infrastructure, including transformers, inverters and fencing will “inevitably introduce a fundamental change to agricultural land” and the major visual harm that would come with the project.

It also found that the scheme in and around the Grand Union Canal (GUC) Conservation Area (CA) and the Grade II listed Turnover Bridge would “alter the relationship to the canal” as much of its significance lies in its historic and architectural nature.

The report did weigh up the positives of the development, such as the production of renewable energy and estimated carbon savings of 11,000 tonnes per year. The reversibility of the proposal with the site being returned to agricultural use at some stage and the creation of employment opportunities were also considered.

The decision notice wrote: “Taking into account the public benefits of the proposal as identified in this decision letter, overall the Secretary of State considers that the benefits of the appeal scheme are not collectively sufficient to outbalance the identified ‘less than substantial’ harm to the significance of the heritage assets.

“The Secretary of State therefore concludes that the appeal should be dismissed and planning permission refused.”

The original planning documents from back in 2021 said: "The proposed development is inherently sustainable as it has been designed to serve its purpose, which is to provide a significant amount of renewable electricity over the next 40 years in a very sustainable manner."

There is a possibility that the decision could be challenged. This must be done by making an application to the High Court within six weeks of the decision notice, which was dated March 13, 2024.