MS raises concerns over plans for massive solar farm

Zoe Picton

A massive solar farm covering 123-hectares could risk future food production, it has been claimed.

Plans for placing four metre high solar panels to be mounted on the ground across 12 parcels of land around Ponthir, and stretching over three local authority boundaries, were unveiled in April.

Peter Fox, Conservative Member of the Senedd for Monmouth claimed the development could impact food production.

He said: “Removing over 300 acres of farmland could affect our ability to produce food, at a time when our food security is paramount”.

Grazing

Applicants Bluestone Court Farm Ltd have said that although the land use permission would be changed some existing agricultural activities such as livestock grazing could continue over the 40 year period the farm is in use. After that the land could be returned to “greenfield/agriculture”.

Mr Fox said after being contacted by residents he raised concerns about the application in the Senedd with the cabinet secretary for energy of planning Rebecca Evans.

Ms Evans said she couldn’t comment “on the merits or otherwise of individual projects” and noted as a development of national significance, which is being considered by Welsh planning body Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), government ministers could have to make a decision on whether it is approved or not.

She told the Senedd planning policies outline the range of unacceptable adverse effects that could stop a proposed development from going ahead, and schemes should only be supported if it they won’t cause unacceptable adverse impact on the environment or local amenity.

‘Helpful’

The Labour minister said: “I can’t comment on the particular scheme this afternoon, it is helpful, I think, if I set out some of the policies that will be important in consideration of those proposals.”

The 12 parcels of land are east of Ponthir and north of Caerleon and across the boundaries of Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Newport. Some parts of the proposed site are within the Torfaen and Newport special landscape areas while there are also numerous footpaths crossing the fields.

A substation for the proposed plant would be located on land within the Welsh Water treatment plant near Ponthir and the solar farm could have capacity to generate 46 megawatts of electricity.