CONTROVERSIAL plans for a large-scale solar farm on a North Yorkshire farm have been approved despite local opposition.

Two planning applications were submitted by farmers Stuart Charlton and Philip Sanderson, from Ainderby Steeple, near Northallerton, and were debated by Hambleton District Council’s planning committee on Thursday, November 13.

One was approved by members while the other was refused because of its proximity to the village.

The first application, for a ground-mounted photovoltaic solar farm is 9.6 acres, was refused by the committee because it would be just 100m away from the nearest house in the village.

It would have included almost 6,000 individual solar panels standing at 2.44m that would generate around 1.5Mw of electricity at peak times – enough to power 323 homes and offsetting 624,790kg of carbon dioxide a year.

But a second, 13 hectare site in the same area, 400m from Ainderby Steeple at its nearest point, was approved.

The site will have around 18,000 panels and is anticipated to generate 5.9Mw of electricity at peak times, capable of powering 1,318.

Resident John Ozelton said: “I’m representing the village which has voted to oppose the development.

“It would change the character and landscape of the village and the overall area would outweigh that of the village itself.

“There is a right place for this but we think that on productive land so close to the village and beautiful landscape is not that place.”

Applicant Stuart Charlton said: “I have farmed this land for 30 years after my father and grandfather.

“It has been drained several times but it is a complex drain and pumping system that costs around £2,000 year.

“I keep most of the fields in permanent grass and what I do grow is sold to make bio-fuel so it is not contributing to the food chain.”

Mr Charlton said the solar panels would be temporary and in 20 years the land could be given back to arable farming.

He added that sheep would still be grazed on the land.

Councillors were split over the outcome of the first application with five in favour and five against – but chairman Cllr David Webster took the deciding vote and it was rejected.

The second application won the support of the majority of planning committee members with eight in favour.