Solar farm at Henley, near Ludlow, turned down by Shropshire Council planning committee

It is now understood that the German firm Kronos Solar, that is behind the proposal, is likely to go to appeal.

The members of the southern planning committee of Shropshire Council rejected the scheme and the advice of their paid officials by six votes to three.

Andy Boddington, the Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow North, moved the motion for rejection.

He said in an area like south Shropshire there were areas of great natural beauty, including conservation areas as well as the designated Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, that    needed to be protected.

The reasons given for the rejection relate to the loss of good quality agricultural land and the impact on the environment including spoiling the views from Ludlow, Whitcliffe Common and Caynham Bank.

“I have no doubt that there would be an impact upon tourism in the area,” said Councillor Boddington speaking after the meeting.

The developer had hoped that changes to the scheme, including the addition of more screening, would have led to councillors giving the project the green light.

Kronos Solar called The Advertiser from Germany ahead of the meeting and said that in the event of a refusal there would be an appeal that they expected to win resulting in large costs against Shropshire Council.

Makin Yarandi for the company said that in south Shropshire most solar farm schemes had been rejected while in the north of the county six had been given the go ahead.

He said that none of the statutory consultees, that had been asked for an opinion about the scheme, had raised any objection.

“We do not think this planning committee is pre-determined,” said Mr Yarandi.

“However, in this situation in which not a single statutory consultee has objected to the application, a refusal would lead to an appeal with a cost application against the council.”

He added this would leave the council tax payers in Shropshire to pick up the bill.