Plans to install ground-mounted solar panels over 64 acres of farmland at Lassington, near Gloucester, received approval from Tewkesbury Borough Council planners on 18 August despite significant opposition from local residents. The proposed development, submitted by PACE Brigadier Energy Limited, includes a battery energy storage system and covers a total site area exceeding 170 acres.
The project has raised concerns within the community due to the proximity of other similar solar installations. Charlie Coats, chairman of Hingham Parish Council, outlined five objections to the planning committee, highlighting the cumulative impact of several nearby solar farms. He noted that the Lassington site is less than 540 yards from a recently completed solar farm at Persh Farm in Maisemore, while another 146-acre scheme off Two Mile Lane was submitted in March. Furthermore, pre-application discussions are underway for a 360-acre solar farm at Linton Farm.
“Taken together, these developments would cover approximately 675 acres, which equates to about one third of the village’s farmland being devoted to semi-industrial solar use,” Mr Coats explained. He recommended that the planning committee consider the Forest of Dean District Council’s recent refusal of a similar application at Murrels End Farm, Hartpury, due to an overprovision of solar farms in that area.
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Mr Coats also emphasised that nearly 80% of the Lassington site constitutes the best and most versatile agricultural land, vital for growing a wide variety of crops. He expressed concerns that ongoing droughts and international conflicts make it increasingly important to preserve high-quality farmland for food production. Additionally, he raised highway safety concerns regarding large construction vehicles using Lassington Lane, a route popular with cyclists and walkers.
The proposed scale of the solar farm is seen by opponents as overwhelming for the nearby village, potentially destroying the attractive views over Lassington Valley and affecting the late Saxon St Oswald’s Tower, the remaining structure of the old parish church.
However, landowner Tony Smith spoke in support of the scheme, explaining that his family has farmed the land for generations. He described the solar project as providing the family with financial security to continue farming operations. “This solar development is not about giving up our land; it is about holding onto it,” he said. “We run a beef enterprise, rearing and fattening young calves for the food chain. With this development, we will continue farming the cattle on land outside the solar area and plan to bring sheep back to graze beneath and around the panels within the solar farm.”
Councillor Robert Vines proposed granting permission for the scheme, noting its appropriateness in the context of the country’s energy security needs. He pointed out that the agricultural land will not be lost but used differently for the next 40 years and emphasised that grass under the solar panels will provide grazing.
Conversely, Councillor Mel Gore expressed her inability to support the scheme due to its impact on the landscape, arguing that the harm had been underestimated despite proposed tree planting.
The planning committee ultimately voted to grant permission by three votes to two, allowing the project to proceed.