News

Campaigners vow to fight solar farm appeal

BBC · last updated

Campaigners have vowed to fight a solar farm appeal as they claim the project will destroy farmland.

Bath and North East Somerset Council (Banes) refused permission for the 28.2-hectare (70 acre) solar farm in Burnett, near Keynsham, last year.

The developer, Conrad Energy II Ltd, is now appealing the authority’s decision. Chiefs claim the project will create enough energy to power 5,500 homes annually and would still have room for sheep to graze on the fields.

A public consultation into the appeal is under way until 4 May.

The council initially received 41 objections against the site on Burnett Hill and Middlepiece Lane.

People complained the proposals threatened the loss of agricultural land, landscape and local ecology.

“The fields are very open, there is no screening to them at all and, in fact, the panels would all be running along the top of a prominent hill scarp,” said resident Richard Arthur.

Potential flooding was also cited as an issue.

View full article

here today, more tomorrow

We’ve launched briefing.center with a focus on the press and media.

And we’ve added Citizen Cartwright, a daily quick-read news summary by veteran Washington journalist Linda Cartwright. We’ve also created a new voting rights knowledge center for Citizen Cartwright subscribers. (You can sign up for a dedicated morning email at citizencartwright.com.)

You can sign up here for full access to press and media and Citizen Cartwright on briefing.center.

You can use briefing.center as the center of your information management, or just one of your tools. We’re happy to discuss your information needs.

Sign up