RURAL MATTERS
Why You SHOULD Object To A Giant Solar Farm In The Blackmore Vale A planning application has been submitted to cover 190 acres of productive farmland with a giant solar power station, sited between Hazelbury Bryan, Mappowder and Pulham. BSR Energy’s planned development lies in the beautiful heart of Thomas Hardy’s Blackmore ‘Vale of the Little Dairies’. Whilst North Dorset CPRE (NDCPRE) accepts the need for solar energy given the climate emergency, and has not objected to the majority of new solar proposals, it is felt that
“an industrial development of this size, which is over a mile long, is totally inappropriate.” Even the developer’s consultant describes the landscape as “remote and tranquil… a unique mosaic of woods, straight hedgerows and grassland fields dotted with distinct mature hedgerow oaks”. NDCPRE favours small community-led solar farms with a maximum capacity of 5 MW that can be well-screened from surrounding view points. This is neither. The government’s clear focus is on cheap offshore windpower rather than expensive solar. Image: Document 1641-0201-01 Iss10 Planning Layout (Site Plan)
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