Devon CPRE celebrates Marsh Green solar farm refusal

Devon CPRE, the Devon branch of the countryside charity, is celebrating after councillors in East Devon voted to refuse permission for a large solar farm on agricultural land at Marsh Green, near Exeter, following a two-hour debate just before Christmas. 

The 6:4 decision (with one abstention) came as a welcome surprise to opponents of the scheme, including residents in and around Marsh Green. It followed a site visit by councillors on the morning of the planning meeting (20 December). They found the proposed construction area waterlogged after all the recent rain - a fact that backed up the argument that the land at Marsh Green was not suitable for such a development.

Taking flooding and other factors into account, namely concerns over visual impact, land classification and impact on a designated heritage asset, East Devon’s planning committee voted against their own officer's recommendation.

Devon CPRE Director Penny Mills was among the few opponents allowed to give a statement to the committee*. Commenting on the decision to refuse the scheme, Penny said, "It’s a great Christmas present! We’d like to thank the councillors who voted to refuse it for having the courage of their convictions, for supporting the local community and for standing up for Devon’s countryside. We are all incredibly grateful, particularly coming so soon after the disappointing decision by the Secretary of State to permit the Langford solar farm, near Cullompton, on appeal. We hope East Devon District Council shows the same resolve should the applicant in this case decide to appeal.”

She added, “There are currently another two solar farm applications in planning in East Devon and who knows how many more in the pipeline?  It’s encouraging that this one at least has been turned down for the right reasons.”

Resident Cyril Emmett, who farmed at nearby Rockbeare for fifty years, also spoke against the plans. He told councillors Marsh Green was not the right place to put a solar farm because it’s a flood valley. He said increased runoff would damage the village and building on the fields would also be a waste of good farmland. Commenting on the refusal, he said: “It’s the right decision. A soil assessment carried out by independent consultants challenged the applicant’s claim that the proposed site was low-grade agricultural land. The assessment I commissioned concluded that the applicant’s report was incorrect and should not be relied upon. I’m not totally against solar but panels should be put on rooftops. If there were panels on every roof in the new town of Cranbrook, there would be no need to sacrifice productive farmland for such developments. Food security is paramount.” 

Ron Forrest, Vice Chair of Rockbeare Parish Council, said, “A big thank you to the committee members who voted for the refusal. It was a common sense decision based on the evidence before them and the site visit. Hopefully, Marsh Green will not now be destroyed by a development of that size.”

Chairman of Marsh Green Valley Protection Group, Paul Jefferson, added, “We are delighted that the planning committee has listened carefully to the objections from local residents and members of the public and seen sense. Our campaign against the scheme will continue as we are well aware that the developer may appeal.”