Solar farm near Ludlow likely to get the green light

Historic England and heritage officers at Shropshire Council have dropped objections to the proposed 5MW solar farm on the Henley Hall estate near Ludlow.

It comes after developers Kronos Solar submitted a fresh report confirming all panels will be moved away from the field directly bordering the Grade II-listed building and gardens.

All parties involved had undertaken a recent site visit to help resolve their differences. In light of the new report, Historic England and Shropshire Council's historic environment manager said the plans are "adequate" and added they will not be objecting.

The plans for the site off Squirrel Lane have been recommended for approval ahead of a meeting of Shropshire Council's south planning committee next week, when a final decision is expected to be made.

The scheme has been in limbo for months after Historic England and council heritage officers raised concerns that the panels were too close to the border of the stately home's gardens and could harm the area's heritage.

Even a redraw of the plans by developer Kronos Solar, to set up "clear belt" between the 22,000 panels and the gardens did not satisfy the national heritage body, which insisted planners had not done "sufficient analysis" of Henley Hall's setting and the impact on it.

Some 157 objections have been submitted by the public against the plans, and campaigners have vowed to attend next week's meeting to fight the proposed development.

Neighbour Pamela Smith, who owns a herd of alpacas near Henley Hall, said she and other objectors will be at the meeting to speak against the plans.

She said: "We don't want it and obviously are still going to fight it."

The 33-acre solar farm is the latest in a long line of controversial solar farm plans for fields in south Shropshire.

Objectors say the Squirrel Lane solar farm land would amount to "industrialising" the landscape around the 18th century country estate.