One of the UK’s biggest solar farm sites is to be built between two County Durham villages despite concerns from residents that it will “devastate” the community.

A bid to build the new scheme on farmland between Lanchester and Burnhope was approved by councillors after a fierce debate over the need for the facility.

Durham County Council received 466 objections from the local public and 19 letters of support, yet its planning officers recommended the proposal for approval.

The applicant, Lightsource BP, said the solar farm will provide energy to nearly 14,000 homes and is in line with the government’s net zero target.

But several residents refuted those claims during a debate on Tuesday. Ian Galloway, of Burnhope, said the solar farm would have a devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of residents.

“We are not NIMBY’s,” he said. “We fully support renewable energy but this proposal development is two and a half times the size of our village and will destroy what has been decades in the making.”

The Northern Echo: A design drawing shows the area between Lanchester and Burnhope that will be covered by the solar farm A design drawing shows the area between Lanchester and Burnhope that will be covered by the solar farm (Image: Lightsource BP)

Other objectors spoke of how the area, once home to several pits and drift mines, had been devastated by industrial activity but had recovered over the past few decades, yet feared the vast improvements could soon be undone.

Meanwhile, Cllr Patricia Jobling highlighted the adverse impact the influx of solar farm applications are having on the local landscape.

She said: “Whether I vote against solar farms or not doesn’t mean I don’t care about the environment because I do. The reason I don’t for them is because they always put them on land that is inappropriate. There are better areas to put these, and think we’ve got to care for our residents.”

But Cllr Carl Marshall said the council’s green ambitions must be prioritised. He said: “The problem with solar farms is you can’t pop them on brownfield sites in city centres, they must be located on areas that have got good access to sunlight and grid connectivity.

“[The proposal] goes someway to Durham starting to show that we want to do our bit to tackle the issues the country faces.”

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Although the site covers 92 hectares in total, Chris Atkinson, representing the applicant, said only a third – around 32 hectares – of the land will be covered by solar panels.

Jane Gray, a landowner at the nearby Broomhouse Farm, said dog worrying has had a fatal impact on dozens of her livestock over the past few years, which has led her to support the plans.

She added: “This solar scheme offers us all a win, win, win.”