Villagers vow to fight plans for solar farm for picture-perfect setting at Weeton

Communities in Weeton say the site will be twice the size of the picturesque village, which lies in the Lower Wharfedale valley and dates back to the 1066 Domesday book.

It is the latest in a long series of bids for the wider Yorkshire region which have caused uproar among campaigners, calling for a strategic plan rather than a jumble of lots.

This is a landscape renowned for its beauty, villagers argue, inspiring sketches by JMW Turner and having remained relatively untouched by any large scale development to date.

A solar farm on this scale, over 80 acres at Juniper Farm, would result in the loss of prized agricultural land, they claim, greatly affecting the "spectacular" views.

The opposition group, Stop Weeton Solar Farm, held a protest walk yesterday to demonstrate the strength of feeling against the bid by Spanish developer ABEI Energy.

“The development will change the whole character of Weeton forever and will quite literally be a blot on the landscape,” said member Bernie May. "This application is not about reaching net zero, it is about maximising profit."

Mr May argues solar should be reserved primarily for rooftop or brownfield sites, in line with national planning policy.

On greenbelt land such as this campaigners have raised fears over the future of food security and the loss of agricultural land. There are further concerns raised over road safety, noise, and biodiversity. It should be "common sense", said Mr May, that thousands of glass panels will pose a threat to local fauna and flora.

“This development, and others like it, is not going to be a quick fix for reaching net zero,” he warned.