Solar farms plan ‘would damage views’ say objectors

Plans for two solar farms near Wimborne would damage views and surroundings at a landmark folly, according to campaigners. Planning applications for two farms in Horton - Woodlands Manor Farm and North Farm - have been submitted to Dorset Council by Woodlands Mannington Solar Ltd and North Farm Mannington Solar Ltd respectively. The scheme at Woodlands Manor Farm would see a solar farm built covering around 61 hectares, while the North Farm development would be around 30 hectares.

Documents submitted by planning agent Laurence Associates said the Woodlands permission would be for 40 years, with all installations able to be removed and the land returned to its previous condition.

“The proposed development is temporary in nature with permission being required for 40 years, after which the site will be returned to its original appearance with all equipment housing being removed from the site immediately after electricity ceases being exported to the Grid,” it said.

“The development is effectively fully ‘reversible’ on decommissioning.”

It added: “There will be no significant physical changes to the land in terms of earth removal or levelling, and during operation, agricultural actvities will continue with the land being used for sheep grazing.”

The same applied to the North Farm scheme, the application for that site said. However, the plans have been met with dismay by campaigners, including the Dorset Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), who say the developments will impact the surroundings of nearby Grade II*-listed Georgian folly, Horton Tower.

The CPRE said the solar farms would ‘threaten not just the beautiful protected landscape surrounding the (tower) ... but will harm the setting and views towards it and from it’.

People can have their say until August 4, at planning.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk, searching for application reference P/FUL/2023/03415.

Knowlton Parish Council will also discuss the plans at a meeting on August 2 at Horton and Chalbury Village Hall, which gets under way at 7pm.