AN 81-acre solar farm will be built near Gillingham after a previous refusal of the scheme was overturned.

A planning inspector has allowed plans for Fern Brook Solar Farm, on land east of Gillingham, by Low Carbon Limited.

The scheme was initially rejected by Dorset Council in January last year on the grounds it would harm heritage assets, as well as damaging the character of the area.

However, Low Carbon Limited appealed the decision, with inspector Phillip Ware appointed to adjudicate.

At appeal hearings held in September and October last year, the council again emphasised the impact on heritage assets, including Gillingham Forest Deer Park, the remains of East Haimes House and Donedge Lodge Farm.

But Mr Ware said he concluded the solar farm would ’cause limited harm to the setting of a number of heritage assets’.

He added that the Deer Park already features a ‘considerable amount of modern development’, including Kingsmead Business Park, retail stores and Gillingham FC.

The council’s previous approval of the Gillingham Southern Extension plan, allowing up to 634 homes to be built on land 70m from the solar farm site at its closest point, was also considered by the inspector.

“It was confirmed at the inquiry that the status of Deer Park was not referenced in the report leading to the grant of permission for the GSE development, which intrudes into the central area of the former park,” Mr Ware said.

“For the council to now express concern on heritage grounds about the current proposal appears inconsistent.

“It was accepted at the inquiry that these modern developments are part of the current understanding of Deer Park.

“My overall conclusion is that the asset is of reduced importance given the current intrusions into its original area.”

Approving the scheme with conditions, Mr Ware added: “I have found that the proposal would lead to less-than-substantial harm to the significance of designated assets and limited harm to non-designated assets…”

He said the benefits of renewable energy outweighed any impact on landscape and heritage of the site.

“I conclude that the public benefits of the proposal outweigh some non-compliance with policy on the basis of harm to landscape and heritage assets, and would be significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the clear benefits of the scheme,” he said.

Benefits of the scheme include planned planting in the north-east corner of the site, he said, as well as a donation towards off-site planting as part of the Gillingham Forest Project.

A ‘measurable gain in biodiversity’ would also be a benefit, he said.

To read the full appeal decision, log on to https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?caseid=3300299.