Solar farm which could power 14,000 Northamptonshire homes set to be given the go ahead

A solar farm that could be used to power up to 14,000 homes could be given the go-ahead next week.

EDF Energy Renewables wants to build its Glassthorpe Solar Farm off Brington Road, north of the M1 in Flore and near Little Brington.

The company said 99,840 solar panels would be used to produce 49.9MW of electricity which would be fed into the National Grid.

The 96 hectare site would be divided into two parts and each would have access for vehicles if West Northamptonshire Council’s strategic planning committee approves it next Tuesday.

Planning officers have recommended it is approved.

But parish councils said they were worried that good quality agricultural land could be lost.

Flore Parish Council voted to support it and said it accepted “there is a pressing need to generate power from renewable sources in the face of carbon-driven climate change”.

But it said it was concerned about the loss of land “reducing the solar panels’ benefit…since such land is likely to become of even greater value as the pressure on worldwide food production grows and this country faces a growing need to import grain”.

Upper Heyford Parish Council objected too and CPRE Northamptonshire has also asked for it to be refused.

Stowe Nine Churches Parish Council said it too had concerns.

Councillors initially held a meeting in June but the decision was deferred to next week so they could undertake a site visit.