Council lodges High Court challenge over ministerial decision on solar farm

Telford & Wrekin Council is set to challenge in the High Court a local government minister’s “irrational” decision to allow a new solar farm to go-ahead.

The 99-acre New Works Lane solar farm, prosed by ‘Greentech Invest’, was granted planning permission by Local Government Minister Lee Rowley.

The council had previously refused permission, arguing that the project would harm an area of “outstanding natural beauty”.

Telford & Wrekin revealed it has now lodged an application at the High Court to seek a “statutory review of the minister’s decision and a court order to reverse it”.

At a council planning committee meeting in October 2021, planning permission was refused on the basis that the new solar farm would result in “significant harm to the character of the area and thus impact on the enjoyment of the area by receptors using the local public rights of way”.

Telford & Wrekin already has its own solar farm, and noted that it “knows the importance of renewable energy”. However, it added that “these developments need to be made in the right places”.

The council believes there are “arguable legal grounds to challenge the government’s decision because local planning policy had not been fully understood or lawfully applied”.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Shaun Davies (Labour) said: “Telford & Wrekin Council is the local planning authority for the area earmarked for New Works solar farm and will mount a legal challenge on the government’s decision to grant planning permission for it.

“The complete disregard for local planning policy – which is a legal framework - and how it works to protect the landscape has led our legal advisers to conclude that the government’s decision making has been ‘irrational’ at best.

“The decision goes against the views of our communities, our planning officers, the planning committee and even the government's own planning inspector, who held a public inquiry into the development last summer."

Cllr Davies added: “We urge the government, even at this late stage, to willingly reverse its decision and avoid the need for further legal action”.

The minister has been approached for comment.

Lottie Winson