Wayford residents have few weeks left to have say on solar farm plans
A public inquiry will be held in February to decide whether the development off Chard Lane can go ahead
Residents of a small Somerset village only have a few weeks to stop a large solar farm being built on their doorstep.
Greentech Invest UK Ltd. put forward plans in June 2024 to build a solar farm at Mahe Farm on Chard Lane in the small village of Wayford, between Chard and Crewkerne.
The Milton Keynes-based applicant launched an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds of non-determination – in other words, that Somerset Council took too long to make a decision.
The Planning Inspectorate has announced that the matter will be settled by a public inquiry early in the new year – with residents having to formally submit objections before Christmas.
The site lies just north of Wayford Cemetery, a short distance from the railway line (served by South Western Railway services) and the Dorset national landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty, or AONB).
The proposed solar farm will be built across several fields surrounding Chard Lane and Dunsham Lane, with access for construction and maintenance being created towards the northern end of Chard Lane.
The solar farm will cover around 26 hectares or just over 64 acres – the equivalent of 36 football pitches – and will remain operational for 40 years (though this could be extended through subsequent planning applications).
The facility is expected to provide up to 19,000MWh of renewable energy each year – enough to power around 5,100 homes.
A spokesperson for Lighthouse Consulting (representing the applicant) said: “The development will provide energy infrastructure, which is a critical national priority, and its delivery should carry significant positive weight in the planning balance.
“The development will not materially harm the special qualities or setting of the national landscape, and will not result in significant cumulative landscape or visual effects.
“The development will not result in adverse flooding and drainage effects within or outside of the site boundary.”
Wayford Parish Council strongly objected to the plans in February, arguing that the terrain was unsuitable and the development could disrupt the local water supply.
Parish clerk Sue Morley said; “Mahe Farm is an inappropriate site in view of the steep gradient of the land.
“The potential effects on the various private water supplies are unknown, which is also a cause for concern.”
To make a formal statement to the Planning Inspectorate ahead of the inquiry, visit www.acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk and quote case reference number 3374756 by December 10.
The public inquiry is scheduled to begin on February 10, 2026 and is expected to last for four days.
The venue for the inquiry, along with the timing of any site visit, will be publicised by the council early in the new year.
Inspector John Longmuir’s final report is expected to be published by the late-spring.