TENSIONS are high in Pyworthy as the plans for Renewable Energy Systems Ltd’s Derril Water Solar Farm (1/0249/2021/FULM) are due to go before Torridge District Council today (November 4).

A planning officer has recommended that district councillors in northwest Devon grant permission for the large solar farm on agricultural land at Monks Farm and Trelana, Derril Water near Pyworthy, despite overwhelming opposition from the local community and a campaign by countryside charity Devon CPRE, spearheaded by actor John Nettles OBE.

In May, Devon CPRE launched a video campaign fronted by Bergerac and Midsomer Murders star Mr Nettles, who has a smallholding near the site that Renewable Energy Systems Ltd hopes to develop.

There have to date been 213 local objectors and two parish councils have also added their disapproval of the 164-acre proposal that would see a solar farm stretch across four separate parcels of land on 28 fields.

The proposal is within a mile of the Upper Tamar Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) and within two miles of two other AGLVs. The plans shows nearly 76,000 solar panels on pile-driven posts would measure about a mile from end to end, surrounded by 5.4 miles of security fencing, 85 CCTV cameras on poles and 15 inverter substations in industrial containers each with hard-standing.

However, Devon CPRE feels the planning officer’s extensive report reduces the technical arguments put forward by objectors to a list of bullet points, whereas, pages of information from bodies such as Natural England and Highways are given in full.

Devon CPRE trustee and energy spokesperson Dr Phil Bratby said: “If it’s given the go ahead, the Derril Water scheme will have a massive and devastating impact on the landscape and on local people, yet the planning officer has largely ignored their views and the considerations of independent experts. So much for local democracy when a council employee ignores the voices of those paying her salary!

“There are several existing solar farms surrounding the small village of Pyworthy, including one on the south-eastern boundary of the proposed site and another about a kilometre away. Three together would turn this rural part of Devon into an industrialised landscape of solar panels and security fencing stretching across 28 fields. How is this a good use of some of the best pasture land in the whole of the county?”

Ahead of the meeting a spokesperson for Renewable Energy Systems Ltd said: “Derril Water Solar Farm is a carefully sited and designed project. The site was chosen as it has good irradiance, is close to a viable grid connection, can be easily accessed and lies outside of any statutory environmental, archaeological and landscape designations. As Glasgow hosts the United Nations COP26 Climate Change Conference over the next couple of weeks, it has also never been more pertinent to consider the importance of large scale renewable projects like Derril Water in helping the UK to meet its net zero target. As laid out in its Net Zero Strategy published just last month, the UK Government has made it clear that solar and wind will be the backbone to achieving a secure, affordable and low carbon energy supply.”