A CONTENTIOUS plan to site a 5,000-panel solar farm at the entrance to Hayle has been approved despite concerns about flooding.
A Cornwall Council planning committee agreed to allow the facility on 3.75 acres of land next to the A30 just after refusing a much larger solar farm three miles away in Gwinear.
S2W Property 103 Ltd had applied to build the solar farm, with battery storage, access, landscaping and other infrastructure on land off Loggans Road, Hayle, north of Loggans Moor Roundabout and adjacent to the A30 and a Lidl store.
Although recommended for approval by the council’s planning department, the area’s councillor Lionel Pascoe brought it before yesterday’s (Thursday, February 13) strategic planning committee meeting owing to the concerns of Hayle Town Council around flooding, which he shared.
The intention was for the renewable electricity generated to primarily supply the nearby St Ives Bay Holiday Park by way of an underground cable. The development would be operational for 40 years.
As well as objections from Hayle Town Council, neighbouring St Erth Parish Council was also against the proposal. It stated: “Whilst the parish council supports the use of solar power it does so through the use of roofs, particularly in industrial locations, or alternative brownfield land locations. This site is located next to a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), is on a floodplain, is rich in biodiversity and will have a negative impact on wildlife in the area.”
A number of worried residents also raised concerns about flooding and the loss of land abundant with wildlife. At the meeting, Cllr Pascoe said: “In the last ten years, all this site was flooded, Hayle was underwater so far as Copperhouse. It was coming down the main A30 – I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It was enormous. It made a mess for days on end to clear up.” He feared the solar panels would exacerbate any future flooding.
Cllr Steve Arthur said: “We turn enough of these things down… but at the gateway for Hayle. I wouldn’t want that on my doorstep.”
Cllr Peter Guest added that he wasn’t convinced by a glint and glare assessment of the site and said he couldn’t back it.
However, Cllr Peter Perry argued for it: “We have been screaming that land that is not best and most versatile should be considered [for solar farms] and here we are faced with that very thing. I cannot see a justification for turning our backs on this. I appreciate it won’t please everybody, but quite frankly this is a through road. I do not think that the impact of this is that adverse.”
Other councillors agreed with him and the application was approved with six in favour, four against and no abstentions.