Somerset residents express 'deep disappointment' over new solar farm near A39

West Somerset residents have expressed their "deep disappointment" at the news that a major new solar farm has been approved between two growing settlements. Elgin Energy secured permission from the Planning Inspectorate, following a successful appeal against Somerset Council, to build a new solar farm on land north of the Washford transmission station, between Washford and the neighbouring town of Watchet.

The facility - which the company claims will provide enough power for 7,500 homes - will be constructed on agricultural land belonging to the Wyndham Estate, which is seeking to build 230 houses on the Parsonage Farm site at the southern edge of Watchet (along with another 350 houses on the A39 Priest Street in Williton). With construction expected to begin by the end of the year, Washford and Watchet could be one step closer to merging together, altering the character of the rural West Somerset area for decades to come.

The solar farm - which was first proposed by Elgin Energy back in May 2018 - will span several fields north of the Washford transmitting station, running from the B3190 Washford Hill to the Mineral Line active travel route, which connects Washford to Watchet. A battery energy storage site will also be created near the site, allowing the company to store surplus energy and sell it back to the National Grid at peak times.

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Planning inspector Cullum Parker, who visited the site on April 30, said that neither the Exmoor national park nor the Quantock Hills national landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty, or AONB) would "be adversely affected" by the solar farm, due to its distance from the boundaries of both protected areas. He argued the solar farm was sufficiently far from the main roads to not be overly visible to passing motorists, with the existing hedgerows along the A39 and the B3190 providing ample screening.

Reports commissioned by CPRE Somerset and the local tenant farmers stated the land was "some of the better quality arable land in this area of west Somerset." But Mr Parker was dismissive of these reports, arguing they "offered no detailed analysis" of the key issues and were "based on little more than a walk over of the fields and high-level maps from the 1980s".

Áine O’Connor, who lives in Watchet and represents numerous local residents in the area, said the community was "in shock" over the inspector's ruling. She said: "How is one person’s opinion allowed to override reports from professionals?

"There has been a total disregard of the local community, parish councils and Somerset Council's views - and a total disregard for the government's position regarding solar farms on the best and most versatile agricultural land, The inspector has chosen to disregard the tenants' soil report and also the council independent soil report and has agreed with the appellant's report.

"Somerset Council's independent report clearly states the appellants report is not robust and fit for purpose. It failed to consider that no effort was made by the appellant to site the solar farm at the other available sites within the area (whether brownfield or lower grade)." The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published new guidelines on May 15, indicating that solar farms should not be built on the best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land, citing a need to boost food production to improve food security.

Since these guidelines were issued after the Washford appeal process began, they could not be applied to that particularly inquiry - even if they was undisputed evidence surrounding the quality of the land in question. David Bean, parliament and government relations manager for the Countryside Alliance, welcomed the news, stating: "Like the government, we think there is much greater scope for encouraging solar panels to be placed on existing and new industrial sites, to help ensure rural areas aren’t asked to bear a disproportionate burden in the move to a net-zero energy system.

"That transition can’t happen without continued public support." Dr June Armstrong - who lives near the solar farm site - added: "I oppose this proposed development on every level - not solar energy in the right place.

"The proposed site for this inflexible and unreliable renewable energy source, which is to be sited on prime quality agricultural land, will further erode precious agricultural land which we need for food, and also of itself helps to preserve and enhance our environment. This is an industrialisation of a landscape, which offers no employment.

"Solar power stations should be sited on brownfield sites first. This proposed development is not within the West Somerset Local Plan."

The new Somerset Local Plan, which will come into force in early-2028, will examine all allocated sites for residential, commercial and other development in the former West Somerset area, and may include specific policies over solar farms and other energy infrastructure. CPRE Somerset (also known as the Countryside Charity) also campaigned vociferously against the plans.

Chairman Hugh Williams said the decision amounted to "shooting ourselves in the foot" and called for a change in the law to make solar panels compulsory on all new housing developments. He elaborated: "Our main concern with this decision in the beautiful Washford River valley is that other iconic Somerset landscapes are now highly vulnerable to be being hidden behind huge swathes of glass, metal and plastic.

"We should be putting solar on commercial rooftops, on canopies over car parks and on all new-build housing, rather than shooting ourselves in the foot by trashing our finest landscapes in the name of climate change." The Parsonage Farm Action Group has also expressed their deep disappointment with the inspector's decision, with group leader Lucy Corlett-Shaw saying it was "a sad moment for our community, the local environment, and farming."

She added: "We used to have three farms surrounding our small tourist town; two of these now have planning or are being developed. Let’s hope common sense prevails, and planning isn’t granted for the third (Parsonage) Farm."

A decision on the proposed Parsonage Farm development is expected to be taken by the council's planning committee west (which handles major applications in the former Somerset West and Taunton area) by the end of the year. Williton Parish Council and Watchet Town Council will be meeting with other parish councils in the coming weeks to "see if there is anything further we can do".

Councillor Peter Payne, chairman of Williton Parish Council, told the West Somerset Free Press : "We were obviously extremely disgusted the solar farm was given permission on appeal. We will consider what other actions we can take, although what they will be, we do not know."