Plans for solar farm near rural village approved

Councillors have given the go-ahead for a solar farm in North Yorkshire, despite concerns a village could become "surrounded" by green energy schemes.

North Yorkshire Council's strategic planning committee has approved plans to build a solar development on fields near East Cowton, close to Northallerton.

The development, along with its infrastructure, will be built on 38 hectares of agricultural land. It would generate enough electricity to power more than 10,000 homes, according to the applicant, East Cowton Solar Farm Limited.

East Cowton Parish Council had opposed the scheme, while 10 nearby residents also submitted objections.

In a statement read at Tuesday's meeting, Councillor Annabell Wilkinson, who represents the area where the development will be constructed, said: "East Cowton has seen a high number of solar planning approvals in recent years.

"The village could become surrounded by solar farms, both historical and those presently under consideration."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, an application for another solar farm to the east of the village was submitted last year.

Plans for another solar scheme to the north of East Cowton - which had a population of 482 according to the 2021 census - were also approved in 2015.

Despite the concerns raised, members of the committee voted unanimously to approve the application.

Committee member Caroline Goodrick said there were no reasons not to support the scheme.

However, she said: "I would like to see solar panels off the ground on roofs, on industrial buildings, on schools, on hospitals, wherever we can put them, where we are not affecting our agricultural land, which we need for our food insecurity.

"I am supportive of this, but I think we can do it better."

In its planning statement, East Cowton Solar Farm said a "small number of residences would be susceptible to the development".

It said the project complied with local and national planning policies.

The parish council suggested that a bond be taken from the applicant to cover the cost of restoring the site after 40 years, in case the company ceased to exist when it was time to decommission the scheme.

The meeting heard this was not council policy, although it would be raised with officers preparing the new North Yorkshire Local Plan.

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