STROUD District councillors have approved plans to extend the solar farm contract near Charfield from 25 to 40 years.

The site near Upper Huntingford Farm on the outskirts of Charfield will host 30,000 solar panels across 30 acres of farm land, a 3.5metre hedge will surround the site to hide it from view.

Councillors on the Development Control Committee contested on Tuesday, January 10 that the scheme should benefit the local community directly.

Cllr Penny Wride (Con, Berkeley Vale) said: “Residents are worried that after 40 years the land will be classified as brown field and able to be a distribution centre or warehousing, conditions need to be in place to stop this happening.”

Speaking on behalf of agents Foresight, James Jenkinson, said: “The grass will still grow very well despite the solar panels and it prevents the grass from drying out.

“The field can still be used for agricultural use, you could still have sheep grazing beneath the solar panels."

The scheme generates enough electricity to power 1,840 homes (6.07 gigawatts), although this is filtered to the National Grid and would not specifically go to homes in Stroud District.

Cllr Haydn Jones, (Con, Berkeley Vale) moved this application for debate by the committee and urged for a direct local benefit.

Officers advised the committee that conditions such as this are for the business and the local parish council (Alkington) to decide.

Cllr Jones said: “This scheme is offering £1,000 per megawatt for the first ten years whereas other schemes in my area, such as near Cambridge, are offering this price for the whole 25 years.

"They also measured a radius around the site and counted the households and distribute electricity to match this – if this company wanted to pay more, they could.

“I don’t think this developer is as fair as the others in Berkeley Vale, they are here to stay but the business needs to share in the community.”

Speaking for the agent’s, James Jenkinson, from Foresight, said: “The profit from the solar farms is entirely dependent on the price of electricity, normally these projects have long-term ownership and encourage investment from pension funds and low-carbon schemes.

Cllr Jim Dewey (Green, Coaley & Uley) proposed a motion to approve the extension under officer’s recommendations and conditions, seconded by Cllr Chris Brine (Lab, Stonehouse).

He said: “We would essentially be protecting this field from housing development for 40 years.”

The extension passed by nine votes to two abstaining.