Plans for a 28 mega watt solar farm has been given the go ahead near Bourne
The development will by at Dyke Drove
A 28MW solar farm on the outskirts of Bourne has been given permission.
During a recent meeting, members of South Kesteven District Council’s planning committee approved a temporary application for the development at Home Farm in Dyke Drove, which will operate for 40 years and generate enough energy to power 13,661 homes annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 8,200 tonnes each year.
Enray Power Ltd has insisted that construction will be brief, with HGV traffic kept to a minimum and none routed through Dyke. Once built, the development will be unmanned and visited only occasionally for maintenance.
Reasons for choosing the site included its close proximity to a viable grid connection, suitable topography and ground composition, opportunities for planting, ecological and biodiversity improvements, and the ability to continue some agricultural activities on the land.
Landowner William Ash told members that the scheme would cover just 6% of the wider landholding, with the remainder retained for food production.
“Covering just 6% of the wider landholding, the vast majority of the farm will be retained for food production, and the scheme will support new investment on the farm, which in turn will sustain jobs for the local workforce and supply chain,” he said.
He also told members that the farming sector is in “crisis,” adding: “I believe we need to diversify to remain solvent.”
However, while acknowledging some merits of the application, ward councillor Zoe Lane (Con) urged the committee to refuse planning permission, pointing out that 76.36% of the development site is classed as Grade 2 land, with the remainder designated as Grade 3A—both considered among the best and most versatile for agricultural use.
“Whilst you are obliged to consider this case on its merits and not what may transpire in the future, I would suggest that 40 years of industrial use with a grid connection in place very quickly changes what we ourselves would consider to be open countryside and likely moves that industrial land use out of the realm of temporary,” she said.
“I fear that while we have a government that doesn’t care one jot about the countryside and genuinely believes solar is a better use of land than growing food, our options to do what is right for our residents are limited, as the recent decision on the Mallard Pass solar application has highlighted.
“We should, therefore, consider that there are merits to this application, and if we get this right, we may be able to set a gold standard that all future solar developments in South Kesteven must abide by.”
Lincolnshire County Councillor Sue Woolley (Con) also provided a statement on the proposed development, saying: “I’ve received a total of two written complaints from residents in the surrounding area. Whilst I do not agree that quality food-producing land should be used in the first instance, I do respect the right of the landowner to farm his land in the way that he wishes.
“I’ve been to visit the site. It’s behind a reasonably quiet fen road out of the nearest village. Any impact from increased traffic noise is likely to be from the construction work, so therefore temporary.”
Ultimately, the committee agreed with the officer’s recommendation, which stated that the benefits of the development—including its contribution to national objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions—outweighed the harm. As a result, members voted 10 in favour and one against.
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