Doncaster village farm granted permission to build 2640 personal solar panels despite opposition from residents

Owners of Red House Farm in High Melton were granted permission by Doncaster Council’s planning committee last week to build 2,640 solar panels for commercial use.

It is the farm’s second granted application in two months, with the owners’ planning history garnering extensive criticism from village residents.

16 households objected to the solar installation for reasons including the land being labelled as a green belt, a misuse of grade II farming land and encroachment onto the village’s scenery.

However, 20 households supported the application, staying that it is an appropriate use of green belt land due to the environmental benefit.

Some 1.03MW of green energy will be produced primarily for the land owners, with any surplus making its way to the grid.

An agent in support of the application told the planning committee that the energy produced will be the equivalent of taking 50 cars off the road.

Extensive planting will also be undertaken around the panels to create a biodiversity net gain of 116 per cent.

Last month, the planning committee granted permission for a large storage lagoon on the farm.

This application received opposition from 128 households.

An opposition speaker said of the fertiliser: “The odour is chemical rather than agricultural in nature. It is dreadful and reduces our amenity, it invades our homes and makes outdoor space unusable.”

An enquiry was also launched into the farm in 2021 after an original, smaller silo was erected without planning permission.

The committee later deemed it to be within guidelines and granted permission.