Enviromena to appeal against rejection of its solar project in Dorset

UK clean energy services company Enviromena said that it will appeal against Dorset Council’s decision to reject its proposal for a 40-acre (16.2 ha) solar farm in the countryside north-east of Dorchester.

The firm set out to install an 11.8-MW solar farm in an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), but Dorset Planning Committee voted 8-3 against the project and refused planning permission. The reasoning was that the site did not meet criteria for development in the AONB and that its visual impact would be detrimental to the landscape.

Enviromena hoped to install the plant near the village of Maiden Newton, and produce enough electricity to power some 4,800 homes per year. It said it had designed the project to keep the visual impact to a minimum and received full support of the local parish council and community members who understood the need for clean energy alternatives.

“We are bitterly disappointed with the decision. We’ve worked very hard over the past 17 months that the project has been in the planning process to address all concerns raised by consultees and interested parties,” Mark Harding, Enviromena’s European Development Director.

“We fully believe that our submission met all of the criteria for development in the AONB. We will now proceed with an appeal to ensure an outcome which not only recognises the need to satisfy local conditions but supports the urgent national agenda of delivering sustainable, renewable energy,” added Harding.

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