CONTROVERSIAL plans for a huge solar park near Watchet look set to be approved next week at one of the first meetings of the new Somerset Council’s planners.

Planning officer James Holbrook is recommending councillors who meet in Taunton on Tuesday should approve an application submitted two years ago by Elgin Energy EsCo Ltd.

The company wants to put solar panels in 14 fields totalling 98 acres of prime farmland owned by the Wyndham Estate at Washford Cross, next to the Tropiquaria zoo.

Its plan involves a free standing, static solar photovoltaic farm, 12 battery storage units, and a primary electricity sub-station control building.

The solar park would provide 25 million kilowatt hours per annum of electricity, equivalent to powering 7,500 homes.

One letter of support was received by the former Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT), which was succeeded in April by the new unitary authority, and more than 120 objections, including from:

But Mr Holbrook dismissed the objections, saying the application was ‘compliant’ with local planning and national energy policies and should be approved.

Mr Holbrook accepted it meant losing of an area of the ‘best and most versatile’ agricultural land, but solar panels were classified as ‘temporary installations’ so it would not be a ‘permanent or irreversible’ loss and there was still the potential to provide ‘a less intensive agricultural activity’ because sheep could graze the site.

He also accepted the development would impact the ‘local landscape character and visual amenity of the area’ but the site was not actually in the national park or AONB and landscaping would make it acceptable.

Mr Holbrook said solar energy contributed to addressing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels and off-setting associated environmental impacts.

He considered any harm caused by the development was outweighed by the benefits of providing renewable energy.

Mr Holbrook recommended the planning permission should only be ‘temporary’ - for 40 years, after which the site would have to be restored.

He said the Government wanted to reduce the country’s carbon emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 and for the country to be net zero by 2050, ‘which effectively puts greater pressure on finding an alternative energy network sooner’.

“Solar is a key part of the Government’s strategy for low-cost decarbonisation of the energy sector,” said Mr Holbrook.

The battery storage element of Elgin Energy’s plans also had a key role to play in achieving net zero and providing flexibility to the energy system locally.