'Despised' plan for Cornwall’s largest solar farm to be decided

A controversial plan to build what would be Cornwall’s largest solar farm is due to be decided next week.

French energy company EDF Renewables has applied to build a 49.9MW solar array development covering an area of approximately 82.5 hectares (almost 204 acres) across 19 agricultural fields at Trelion, St Stephen.

The solar farm, in the clay country near St Austell, would be operational for 40 years.

A Cornwall Council strategic planning committee has been advised to approve the application at its meeting next week (Thursday, May 21) despite the local member, St Stephen-in-Brannel Parish Council and over 100 people opposing the proposal.

The council’s planning department says the weight attached to the provision of renewable energy development is significant with the updated 2024 edition of the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) continuing to support renewable energy provision, but with less restriction.

A recent planning committee was warned by officers that a decision to refuse another solar application at Marazion would likely be overturned at appeal. As a result, members approved it despite opposition and their own misgivings.

What is currently due to be Cornwall’s largest solar farm, on 80 hectares of agricultural land between Mitchell, Trispen, St Erme and Carland Cross, was approved on appeal last October. The Fair Park solar farm in the Hendra valley was initially refused by a Cornwall Council planning committee.

The Trelion development, which is slightly bigger than Fair Park, would provide the renewable energy equivalent to the average annual energy consumption of 9,500 homes and save approximately 21,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

It has a guaranteed grid connection and would, therefore, make an early and sizeable contribution to achieving local and national aims, states a supporting committee report.

Council planners note that the site is currently used for arable and grazing purposes with 63.5 hectares assessed as “best and most versatile” Grade 3a land. A further 16.1 hectares is Grade 3b or 4. “The development would therefore result in the loss of versatility of this land as crop production would cease.”

As with all solar applications, it cites that the land could continue to be used for pasture as grazing of sheep is proposed to continue on the site.

Officers also state that the development would cause some landscape impact, including increased cumulation with other solar development in the area.

The application has received 137 comments on Cornwall Council’s planning portal, with just two in support.

It has been brought to committee by local member Cllr Elaine Kist (St Stephen-In-Brannel, Reform UK) who shares the concerns of St Stephen parish council, which has also opposed the plan.

She said: “These include conflict with the St Stephen-in-Brannel neighbourhood development plan, adverse landscape, visual and accumulative impacts, concerns about biodiversity net gain, flood risk, impacts on residential amenity and more.”

The Stop Trelion Solar Farm group was formed to protest against what will become the biggest solar farm in the county if approved.

The residents argue that their particular part of Cornwall is being “dumped on again”. There are eight other solar farms in a four square mile area near St Stephen due to the area’s proximity to the National Grid connection – at Burthy Farm and its extension, Trefullock, Hewas Farm, Carnemough, Trethosa Farm, Kernick Mica Dam and Carloggas Farm.

The group carried out a mapping exercise which showed seven per cent of land in their area will be covered by solar panels; the average in Cornwall is 0.34 per cent. That’s 20 times the density in that patch of mid Cornwall compared to the rest of the Duchy.

“It can’t all be placed on what is actually one of the most deprived parts of Cornwall,” said campaigner Rose Barnecut. “The really shocking thing is the proposed site will by EDF’s own assessment be visible from a staggering 80 per cent of St Stephen parish. What people will see as they look across the landscape is behind them the clay waste and in front of them a sea of black glass.”

The group supports the development of renewable energy, both wind and solar. However, the members believe there are a large number of reasons the Trelion solar farm should be refused based on planning policy, including the loss of the best Grade 3a agricultural land.

They are quick to point out that they are not Nimbys. Farmer Rose said: “You can’t give us that tag – we have eight solar parks in this area and no objections were made to those, but this huge new application on fertile farmland will be four times the size of any of the other individual sites and twice the size of St Stephen village.

“There’s a solar park gold rush going on here and this clay country village community is just being asked to take too much.”

Former CEO of Cornwall Community Foundation and environmental activist Oliver Baines – who installed a wind farm on his own land in the area – said: “I’ve been arguing for renewables for decades but I never thought we’d get to the point where we’re saying renewables are so important we’re not going to have food on our tables, we’ll just have energy. It’s a madness.”

The strategic planning committee meeting takes place at 10am on Thursday, May 21 at Lys Kernow / County Hall in Truro.