A Cornwall Council meeting heard today that a contentious proposal for a solar farm across 19 fields in mid Cornwall is "overwhelming" and would "decimate" the area where there are already a number of solar farms.
French energy company EDF Renewables has applied to build a 49.9MW solar farm covering an area of approximately 82.5 hectares (almost 204 acres) on Penhale Farm at Trelion, St Stephen.
The solar farm, on the edge of clay country near St Austell, would be operational for 40 years.
A Cornwall Council strategic planning committee was advised to approve the application at its meeting today (Thursday, May 21) despite the local council member, St Stephen-in-Brannel Parish Council and over 100 people opposing it.
Rose Barnecut, of the Stop Trelion Solar campaign group which protested before the meeting, told councillors: "No one mentions that Penhale Farm is tenanted and these fourth generation tenants will be evicted if the application's approved. It's devastating for the family and will send a chill through hundreds of tenant farmers in Cornwall.
"This family-owned business turns over half a million pounds annually, all of which circulates in the local economy. Post-solar where will this money go? It will go in profits to France."
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She also mentioned that 65 per cent of the farm is Grade 3a 'best and most versatile' agricultural land. "There are nine existing solar farms and one waiting development in a 5km radius – 20 times the concentration of the rest of Cornwall."
Ms Barnecut added that the council's own landscape officer said that if approved the solar farm would "substantially alter the character of the area".
Mark Blake, who works in private water supplies and environmental drilling, raised concerns about the effect on 27 properties downstream from the application site, which have boreholes. He said a stream from the site has recently become contaminated by nitrates, which is making the private boreholes vulnerable.
Mr Blake added that any assessment on contamination run-off from the solar farm to neighbouring properties had not been carried out. He also raised concerns about the leaching effect of galvanised posts being driven into the site's acidic soil.
"Is it acceptable for the Trelion families to be used as guinea pigs in a 40-year experiment, and who will ultimately be held accountable for a public health disaster?" he added.
The Stop Trelion Solar protesters outside Lys Kernow / County Hall in Truro(Image: Lee Trewhela / CornwallLive)
Cllr Nigel Spragg, of St Stephen-in-Brannel Parish Council, told the meeting that policy protects the parish's distinct landscape and, as a result, the solar farm would cause "unacceptable harm to the rural landscape" and the surrounding infrastructure would be "industrial in scale and materially alter the character of the countryside".
The parish council believes there are more suitable development sites for solar in the area.
Cllr Helen Campbell represented Ladock Parish Council, which also objects on the grounds of cumulative impact, loss of high quality agricultural land, flood risk, environmental harm and "significant disruption the development would bring".
Musa Choudhary, of EDF Renewables, said the solar farm would reduce reliance on imported energy and would increase the country's resilience against volatile international energy markets.
He said the scheme had been refined following concerns raised throughout the application process. Landcape impacts have been reduced through amendments, the retention of existing hedgerows and additional planting.
Mr Choudhary added that solar farms currently only occupy 0.3 per cent of Cornwall's total land area. Agricultural land has not significant reduced and still comprises around 75 per cent of total land use.
He said the company's qualified hydrologists maintained that there would be no contamination from the site to private water supplies, adding that the community will receive a minimum of £20,000 per year during the life of the solar farm.
Cllr Elaine Kist, the Reform UK councillor for the area, was next to speak. She told the committee: "This is not just another renewable energy scheme – it will spread across 19 fields on a prominent ridge overlooking the heart of our parish."
She said the visual impact would be "overwhelming". "Campaigners estimate that its prominent position will make it visible from 80 per cent of the parish.
"We cannot keep treating this corner of Cornwall as a default dumping ground for energy projects simply because it is close to the Indian Queens sub-station."
Cllr John Martin, who visited the site the day before the meeting, said seeing it in person differed from the photographs shared in the presentation and he believed "that central part of Cornwall will be decimated by having a solar farm there".
Councillors were told by officers they could only turn down the application if it was found to have "significant harm to the environment". They were warned that the council has lost the last six appeals against solar farms due to government policy and its promotion of renewable energy sites.
Cllr Martyn Alvey repeated what he has said at previous meetings considering solar farm proposals: "This is a head and heart application. I don't think any of us support this application. Our hearts are saying it's wrong. However, we must be ruled by our heads.
"I am still struggling whether we can put in a defendable argument that significant harm to the environment will be caused that will satisfy a planning inspector."
Cllr James Ball added: "The cumulative effect of this is huge. We all know full well that we have to consider energy security and this would go a long way in supporting that, but I am really split on this application as my biggest concern with this is the water contamination."
He asked if that concern would satisfy the "significant harm to the environment" reason for refusal. He was told that there would need to be evidence to back it up and the council doesn't have that, but there would be conditions ensuring that the council could take steps if contamination was to happen, which an officer said was unlikely.
Cllr Parsons said he believed the water contamination risk was "nonsense" and he didn't believe the council had any grounds at all to refuse it on those concerns. However, he said he was "incredibly uncomfortable" with the application.
"We're being put in a position to support an application where the negatives are enormous. It makes me incredibly uncomfortable."
Committee chair Cllr Chris Batters warned about the financial penalties which may come if an appeal was lost. He pointed to the public gallery and said people "like them" would be contributing to any costs as Cornish taxpayers.
Cllr Andrew Long added that planning policy is being made by people in London who have no understanding of what it's like to live in rural areas. "You don't see many solar farms in Whitehall."
Cllr Ball said he agreed with 90 per cent of the comments against the proposal, but he felt the committee did not have a significant planning reason to refuse the solar farm. "We say it time and time again, our hands are a little bit tied within these sorts of applications." He proposed approval.
The motion to approve failed by three votes in favour and five against.
Following a long discussion on the acceptable grounds for refusal, members agreed to defer for a site visit by committee members and officers to view the possible cumulative impact on the area.
An EDF power solutions spokesperson said after the meeting: "We continue to believe the site is an excellent location for the size of solar farm proposed. This project could make an important contribution to our energy security, reducing carbon emissions and generating clean renewable energy."
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