Telford & Wrekin Council is taking ‘urgent legal advice’ over the Government’s decision to allow a new solar farm to go-ahead despite local opposition.
The council had turned down proposals by Greentech Invest’s to set up panels in Telford saying it would harm an area of outstanding natural beauty and were later backed by a planning inspector.
But local government minister Lee Rowley said that while he agreed with some of the inspector's conclusions, the production of electricity brought economic benefits and the plans would cause ‘very limited harm’ to the area.
The local authority has six weeks to appeal the minister's decision in the High Court.
Council leader Shaun Davies, said: ‘This decision goes against the views of our communities, our planning officers, the planning committee and the Government's own planning inspector.
‘In his letter, the minister recognised that the proposal will harm the local landscape and that the site is clearly valued by local residents, yet he has still deemed the site suitable for development, even though he has never visited the site or heard first-hand all the evidence put forward at the planning committee or the inquiry.’
He added: ‘We are now taking urgent legal advice on what we can do to challenge the Government's decision.’
