Town Council joins calls for Michael Gove to visit solar farm site
A Shropshire Town Council has joined calls urging Michael Gove to visit the site of a controversial solar farm.
Wellington Town Council has raised a motion calling on the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities to visit the New Works proposed solar farm site.
They want the minister to reverse the decision made a couple of weeks ago by his junior, Lee Rowley, who overruled a planning inspector and Telford & Wrekin Council and pushed through the plans.
A similar appeal has been made by Telford & Wrekin Council following the decision to grant the scheme planning permission last month.
The 40 hectare solar farm at the base of the Wrekin would be the size of 75 football pitches and will provide power to more than 8,500 homes.
Opponents to the scheme, including Telford & Wrekin Council and Wellington Town Council say the scheme will put off visitors to the area, which is on the borders of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
A motion at the Wellington Town Council on Tuesday evening was proposed by Cllr Angela McClements calling on Michael Gove to come to Telford and Wrekin and see for himself the "beautiful and precious green area of New Works which is enjoyed by so many".
The motion called on the Secretary of State to reverse the decision made by junior minister Lee Rowley a couple of weeks ago, and was overwhelmingly carried with cross-party support.
Cllr McClements said the original decision showed a "complete lack of respect" and added: "Michael Gove has the ability to look at this himself and reverse his junior minister’s decision."
