A huge solar farm in the Staffordshire countryside that could produce enough electricity for 11,500 homes is set to win planning permission, despite more than 100 objections.

Lightrock Power's planning application for a 49.9MW solar farm at Lower Tean Leys Farm near Lower Tean has been recommended for approval by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

But the scheme will also need to be approved by East Staffordshire Borough Council, as the 93 hectare site straddles the boundary between the two areas. A total of 114 objections to the plans were submitted, with the vast majority of these coming from East Staffordshire. Five objections came from the Staffordshire Moorlands, none from people living close to the site.

The objectors raised a number of issues, such as the loss of farmland, lack of demand for another solar farm and concerns that it would not generate sufficient electricity. In its application, Lightrock Power claims that expanding solar capacity could be one of the fastest ways of cutting the UK's carbon emissions.

The application states: "Due to rapid advances in technology, solar PV is one of the most cost-effective sources of energy, leading to a more affordable and secure energy supply to consumers. Solar presents one of the fastest to deploy large scale energy generation technologies; as we continue to face rapidly rising costs of energy for consumers, it presents an excellent option to install not only clean and secure (locally produced) energy, but quickly.

"Other forms of generation such as nuclear are significantly more expensive and have implementation timescales of decades rather than years."

The farm is located just off the A50 in Staffordshire, near Stoke-on-Trent (Google).

In addition to the solar panel arrays, the development would also include up to 19 transformers, a substation compound and battery storage infrastructure. There are also plans for planting and landscaping, including new hedges and trees.

The solar farm would take six months to construct, and would be in operation for 40 years, after which it would be fully decommissioned and the site restored.

Checkley Parish Council has objected to the plans, saying that while it is not opposed to green energy, there are concerns over a 'potential concentration' of solar farms in the southern part of the parish, due to the lack of a district-wide policy.

The letter from the parish council states: "Developers' preference for the lowest cost options leads to clustering around convenient grid connections, in such cases harm to landscape is intensified, harm to public rights of way is increased, this proposed solar farm significantly affects no less than four of our public rights of way."

In their report to the planning applications committee, officers acknowledge that a solar farm of this size would have a 'substantial impact on the landscape'. But they say that there is clear national policy for renewable energy 'which weighs heavily in favour of the development'.

The report states: "There is no doubt that the scheme does have some negative effects on the character and appearance of the area. These concerns need to be weighed in balance with the national and local policy drive to obtain low-carbon 'renewable' energy.

"The recommendation here is that on balance the environmental benefits of the scheme would outweigh the harms identified and therefore the application is recommended for approval."

The application is still being considered by planners at East Staffordshire Borough Council.

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