The government has officially accepted receipt of the plans for a large solar farm in the south of the district which it will decide on.
The Meridian Solar Farm, which would occupy around 2,700 acres of land, has been designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project so will be decided by the Secretary of State.
The government announced yesterday that it accepted responsibility for the plans as being and has started the ‘pre-examination’ phase where people can register to have their say on the proposals.
The details of how and where they can do this are expected to be revealed in the next few weeks.
Afterwards there will be an up to six month ‘examination’ process to collate the views to be followed by the report on whether to recommend to pass or refuse the application.
The Secretary of State then has another three months maximum to make the decision.
Downing Renewable Developments, which is behind the plans, says it will deliver cheaper and cleaner energy for 215,000 homes while also benefiting the community.
However, campaigners against the project say it’s an “industrial-scale development” in the countryside which is being rushed through.
The Meridian Action Group, set up to oppose the proposal, had asked the government to not accept the application claiming Meridian had not met all its consultation responsibilities.
A spokesman for the group said: “Although that well-presented objection appears to have fallen on deaf ears at this stage we are urging all who oppose this monstrous development in our countryside, and on some of the country’s best and most versatile growing land, to stay with us and prepare to meet this head-on when the development consent order application reaches the public stage.”
