Charity Urges Deputy Prime Minister to Review Solar Farm Approval

A charitable organization has requested that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner intervene in a recent decision to construct a solar farm on land designated as green belt. The University of Surrey received approval last week to proceed with development on a 43-hectare plot situated west of Blackwell Farm, Hog’s Back, close to Guildford. The university, in collaboration with SSE Energy Solutions, stated that the proposed facility is expected to generate 34% of its electricity requirements. However, the Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has communicated with the Deputy Prime Minister, expressing apprehension regarding the project’s potential effects on the rural landscape. In correspondence addressed to Ms Rayner, who also holds the position of secretary of state for Housing, Communities & Local Government, CPRE Surrey chair John Goodridge conveyed the charity’s opposition to the planning approval granted by Guildford Borough Council. He further noted that the charity wished to reiterate objections previously raised by Compton Parish Council. These objections encompassed concerns about the impact on “agricultural land, encroachment on the green belt, harm to ancient woodland, the land’s legal status as candidate for inclusion in the Surrey Hills National Landscape”. Goodridge also stated that members were worried about “the applicant’s failure to fully explore brownfield alternatives” and requested that Ms Rayner review the planning permission. The University of Surrey indicated that this solar farm forms part of a broader initiative to deploy solar panels across its car parks and rooftops. Although the university’s student union expressed support for the planning application, the solar farm faced opposition from over a hundred local residents and a minimum of 15 organizations. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government chose not to provide a comment.