Conservationists upset over solar farm approval near Bristol

A "very large" solar farm has been approved despite concerns over the impact to endangered birds and wildlife habitats.

South Gloucestershire Council unanimously voted to grant planning permission for the project at Perrinpit Farm, near Frampton Cotterell.

The solar farm is expected to power 14,500 homes and save almost 26,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.

But a local nature group said there had been "no community engagement".

Addressing councillors at the meeting on 15 September a spokeswoman for Frampton Cotterell Nature Group, which has 500 members, said a promised consultation had not happened.

She said: "The impact on ecology has been assessed using just a desk survey and a site visit.

"The area hosts birds on the conservation concern red list including swift, sparrow, spotted flycatcher, greenfinch, skylark, yellowhammer and linnet."

She said the site is also part of a large area used by ravens, peregrine falcons and brown hares and the plans will "restrict their habitat".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the group was also concerned about the use of pesticides to "control mammalian pests, which may include badgers".

However, planning agent Nick Beddoe said the project was on lower-grade land with the best fields retained for farming.

He said a biodiversity net gain would be achieved through creating a new wildlife corridor and a bat house in a redundant stone barn and the "limited use" of pesticides would tackle the spread of invasive species, allowing wildflowers to become established.

Third-generation farmer Mr Weaver told councillors rising costs, extreme weather, loss of subsidies post-Brexit had made things "most trying for us".

He said the proposed layout will cover 30% of the farm's periphery.

As well as grazing sheep under the solar panels, the fencing will allow "safe passage of small animals while preventing poaching" with the solar farm providing a "lifeline of dependable income to secure the opportunities for future generations here".

South Gloucestershire Council planning manager Marie Bath said although there would be a degree of harm at the "lower end of the spectrum" to Grade II-listed Perrinpit Farmhouse and a Gloucester Road Farm barn, the benefits "clearly outweigh the harms".

Frampton Cotterell ward councillor, Tristan Clark, said the climate and ecology emergency had played a part in his decision.

"We voted [unanimously] in favour of that and we can't just retrofit our way to meeting those 2030 targets," he added.

Councillor Paul Hughes said the farm is going to "help one of our fantastic farmers to survive... [and] help with the energy crisis".

The site will be returned to farmland after 40 years.

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