Strattons Farm: Campaigners object to solar farm plans

Energy company Anglo Renewables, referred to as AR Kingsclere Ltd in the application, has lodged plans to build a solar farm on agricultural land at Strattons Farm, just off the A339, near Kingsclere.

The application submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council states that the overall site of 29.4 hectares will see panels cover 17.94 hectares of that and will power 5,791 family homes.

At the time of writing the application has garnered 155 comments, the vast majority of them objecting to the application.

READ MORE: Developer revises solar farm plans after public consultation and objections

Many objectors have lodged the same objection which states: “I would rather see solar developments on brownfield, rooftop and solar canopy applications. However, this is planned on open farmland and ancient woodland and thus the wrong location for a solar development of this size.

“It is a threat to Watership Down, an icon of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It obstructs views towards Watership Down and is visible from the Wayfarers Walk within the AONB.”

Mandy Sanderson said she often walks her dog on Watership Down, adding: “This land is valuable farmland and it will threaten this area of historic natural beauty. In the vicinity of Basingstoke and Deane considerable amounts of farmland and green spaces have already given way to hundreds of new houses and we are at risk of loosing our green corridors, which we desperately need if we are to keep our countryside.”

SEE ALSO: Watership Down: Villagers fighting plans to build solar farm

Amanda Wason stated: “The location is within the setting of a Designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) that has been evaluated as 'valued landscape' and rated 'exemplary' in factors relating to landscape character and strong access via public rights of way. The visual amenity of numerous footpaths would be ruined by industrial security fencing and CCTV cameras in open countryside.”

On Saturday, May 11, campaigners visited a popular plant sale, held by the charity Growing2gether, at Cottesmore Nursery, where they informed visitors about the solar farm and protested against the proposal.

The event was so successful that the campaigners spent more time directing traffic than handing out leaflets.

Spokesperson Sheilah Openshaw said: “It was tiring, the road is single carriageway with passing places, so customers had to take it in turns to come in and out. There are bends which people can’t see beyond, so we signalled to each other and stopped vehicles at passing points, so they didn’t have to reverse. This gave us chance to talk to the customers who were overwhelmingly supportive of not putting solar panels on farmland.”

The residents, from campaign group Village Solar Farm (VSF), have stressed that it fully supports solar power but not on the Hampshire countryside.

Initially formed to share information about the development, VSF has evolved into a community group representing residents from Kingsclere, Ecchinswell, Ashford Hill, and Headley who are opposed to the project, primarily due to fears that valuable agricultural land would be sacrificed.

The planning application states: “The proposed development would operate for a temporary period of 40 years from the commencement of operation, and is designed to enable low intensity sheep grazing amongst the solar arrays. This enables the agricultural use of the land to be retained in combination with the delivery of renewable energy and significant biodiversity enhancements. Upon decommissioning, the site would return to its original use for agriculture.”