Shropshire solar farm bid raises fears for horse riders

Shropshire riding groups have lodged their objections to the plans which would see the 15,300-panel development solar park be built on 15 acres of land north of Moor Farm near Baschurch.

Baschurch Parish Council, Nesscliffe Hills And District Bridleway Association and Shropshire Riding and Carriage Driving Forum are among the groups to have objected.

The objections come despite applicants Navitas Projects Ltd saying their proposed development would have the capacity to produce about 3.75-megawatts of renewable electricity – enough to power 1,100 homes.

Concerns were raised at a recent Shropshire Riding and Carriage meeting due to worries about rider safety.

A spokeswoman for the group said: "There are very few off-road routes in the area of this proposed solar park, and horse riders rely on the lane on which it is due to be sited, for rides out, and to link to the few off-road routes.

"The heavy construction traffic that will have to use this narrow lane, which has few passing places to access the site proposed for the large solar park, will impact on horse rider's safety.

"Shropshire Council has a duty of care to all road users. We ask Shropshire Council to refuse this application."

The bridleway association has also objected to the plans due to the narrow winding country access lane which is used by horse riders.

A spokesman said: "The lane is an important link between the very few off-road riding routes in the area, and horse riders have no alternative off-road route.

"The large vehicles that will need to be used to transport the equipment, and for the installation and servicing of the site, will put horse riders at risk.

"To add more heavy goods vehicles to this narrow lane will impact greatly on non-motorised users' safety, as there are few passing places. Horse riders, being higher up than walkers or cyclists, will have a clear view of the site, and could be affected by any reflections off the panels.

"Any new screening/hedge growing will take many years to mature, so the site will be clearly seen for years."

Last month Baschurch Parish Council unanimously agreed to object to the plans. It said it would destroy valuable farm land, have poor screening and cause road safety issues.

Navitas Projects says the development will produce renewable electricity which would be fed into the local electricity distribution network.