Offa's Dyke solar farm plan recommended for refusal

Residents and Oswestry Rural Parish Council had supported the Positech Energy proposal to place 3,024 solar panels on land north of Greenfields Lane, Cefn-y-Maes Farm, in Rhydycroesau.

A similar proposal was refused earlier in the year and changes were made to the plans to try to make it more acceptable to Shropshire Council's planners.

The number of panels was cut from 3,240 to 3,024, the angle of the panels was reduced and the number of panel rows cut from from 18 to 14.

But it still wasn't enough for Historic England.

They told the council that the site is close to sections of Offa's Dyke at Bakers Hill, Selattyn and East of Llawnt.

Historic England told the council that: "Offa's Dyke is a nationally significant frontier work dating back to the early medieval period.

"It is considered to be the largest and most complete purposebuilt earthwork of its type in the country. It survives well despite some localised reduction of the earthworks and the infilling of the ditch over time, and will retain evidence for the date and method of its construction.

"Additionally, it has continued to play a role in the development of England and Wales since."

They added that the proposed development would introduce an "extensive, and highly visible, modern industrial element into the setting of the nationally significant Offa's Dyke.

"This change in the setting is detrimental to the understanding of the landscape in which the Dyke was constructed."

Council planners, in their report to Tuesday meeting of the Northern Planning Committee said there were points to consider in the plan's favour. These include reducing carbon dioxide emissions, important to tackle climate change.

The officer's report to councillor says: "The application documentation states that the proposed development would generate the current average annual electricity demand of 322 Shropshire households and that the anticipated annual CO2 emissions saving would be 291 tonnes.

"The proposal would contribute to the Government’s target of being carbon net zero by 2050. The proposed 1.24MWp development would provide relatively significant environmental benefits in relation to renewable energy generation which has strong support under both local and national planning policy."

But on balance planning officers say they come down on the side of refusing it.

The officer's report says that on balance, "it is considered that the public benefits arising from the development would not outweigh the harm which has been identified as a result of the impact of the proposal on the scheduled monument."

Councillors may come to a different conclusion and have been summoned to a their meeting on Tuesday to decide.