Latest solar farm plan could power 12,000 homes

Plans for a solar farm that could power 12,000 homes will be recommended for approval, a report has concluded.

The scheme, which is set to stretch across 66 hectares of land between Harrogate and Ripon, attracted 38 objections and five responses in support.

In a report to North Yorkshire Council, it stated that renewable energy provision "attracted substantial weight in favour of the development".

The plans will be recommended for approval at a meeting on Tuesday and, if given the go-ahead, a community benefit fund would allocate £20,000 a year for the lifetime of the scheme to support local facilities and projects.

The solar farm, near the villages of Wormald Green and Bishop Monkton, was proposed by Harmony WG Solar Limited, the Local Democracy Service reports.

The firm said plans would include ground-mounted solar panels, access to the A61, internal access tracks, a substation, two power stations, pole mounted CCTV, fencing and landscaping.

Critics voiced concerns over the development's impact on the landscape and the fact that similar solar schemes had already been approved in the area.

A report to the council concluded the scheme was acceptable in principal and met the requirements of local and national planning policies.

It added: "There is strong national support for renewable energy schemes, as set out in national guidance and policy documents."

In 2021, a 50MW scheme was given the go-ahead on farmland at nearby South Stainley, although the solar farm is yet to be built.

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