AN energy company has lost its battle to build a large-scale solar farm in open countryside between Brompton Ralph and Tolland.

A planning inspector ruled AEE Renewables' plans for 16,632 solar panels on farmland off the B3188 at Glebe Farm, Tolland, would cause unacceptable harm to the surrounding area.

Inspector Jessica Graham said the solar panels would be an "alien feature", while rainwater run-off from the site could pose an increased flood risk to properties further downstream.

The firm had appealed against Taunton Deane Borough Council's decision to refuse planning permission for the development, after the council ruled it would have a "significant detrimental impact" on the area.

At the time, the plans attracted 98 individual letters of objection as well as blanket disapproval from local parish councils and community groups.

AEE Renewables argued that the impact of the solar farm could be mitigated by landscaping and additional planting and pointed out the environmental advantages of generating "green" energy.

But Ms Graham ruled the benefits of solar energy could not outweigh the visual harm and flood risk posed by the development.

"Amid the predominant pattern of pastoral and arable fields, punctuated mainly by areas of woodland and the occasional group of small buildings, the solar farm would appear as a large, alien feature at odds with the character of the rural countryside surrounding it," she said.

The site would be visible from numerous footpaths, including the West Deane Way, as well as Brompton Ralph churchyard and its Grade II listed church.

"I appreciate that grass planted beneath the solar panels would be grazed by sheep, such that agricultural use would still be made of the appeal site," said Ms Graham.

"However, the large, precision-engineered PV panels, the associated buildings housing electrical equipment and the perimeter security fencing would become the predominant features of the appeal site.

"These features are more typical of industrial development than pastoral or arable farmland and, in my judgement, would fundamentally and harmfully alter the existing character of the open fields that form the appeal site, to the detriment of the surrounding rural landscape."

She said the solar farm would become the dominant feature for walkers using local footpaths, and the walkers would feel "hemmed in" by the additional hedgerow planting proposed to screen the development.

"The most marked visual impact of the proposed development would be experienced by users of the long-distance footpath known as the West Deane Way, which runs alongside the north-eastern boundary of the appeal site for some 400 metres," said Ms Graham.

"The proposed development would also be prominent in views from another footpath that approaches from the east.

"The proposed new hedge along the eastern boundary would do little to screen the solar farm in views from this elevated position, where it would appear as a highly intrusive element in the foreground of the existing panorama of rolling rural hills."

She said the solar farm would cause material harm to the outlook from Gandstone House, which was just 350 metres from the boundary of the proposed development.

And she doubted the findings of a flood risk assessment submitted by AEE Renewables.

She said she agreed with the Environment Agency's view that flood risk could not be fully mitigated from the development and had also been persuaded by a "carefully considered and professionally well-informed" letter of objection.

"[The letter] makes the important point that it would be unsound to assume that rain falling on each row of solar panels would flow evenly into the rain shadow of the row below, so as to mobilise the same percentage of the ground for infiltration as was available before the panels were installed.

"Rather, because the panels would be set at a downward slope and aligned to follow the contours of the land, rainwater would be likely to fall in a column from the lowest corner of each panel.

"It could then form rivulets flowing down through the rain shadows of the rows below without utilising their whole area for infiltration, thus increasing the amount of water run-off from the site," the inspector said.

She noted the solar farm would provide enough green power for some 1,000 homes and the diversification of farmland would help to secure the long-term financial viability of Glebe Farm.

But she concluded: "I find that the benefits of the proposed development carry significant weight in its favour.

"However, that weight is not sufficient to overcome the serious harm that would be caused to the character of the landscape and the substantial adverse visual impacts for users of the public footpaths.

"When the failure to demonstrate that the proposed development would not increase flood risk downstream and the adverse impact on the outlook from Gandstone House are also taken into account then the balance weighs even more heavily against the proposed development."