A BID to develop a solar power farm on agricultural land near an industrial estate is being recommended for approval on Tuesday (January 5).

Durham County Council’s planning committee is advised to back plans for up to 20,000 solar panels to be installed on 25 acres of arable and grazing land, north of Mill Hill, near Peterlee’s North West Industrial Estate.

The panels would be mounted on fixed frames at 25-degree angles, with a maximum height of 2.5m.

They would have a potential capacity of five megawatts, generating approximately 5,000 mw hours per year, which the council’s senior planning officer, Peter Herbert, said would be sufficient to meet the energy requirements of 1,390 UK households.

But applicant, Zaravolt Development, of Swindon, in Wiltshire, believes it could create sufficient power for 1,930 UK households and offset 2,220 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

The site would be enclosed by a 2m metal security fence behind existing hedge lines, with three inverter sub stations, no higher than 2.5m to be developed on the site.

Vehicle access would be via an existing track leading to a nearby underground reservoir, with the nearest residential properties said to be farmsteads, all at least 500m distant.

Construction would be expected to take up to three months for a development with potential to have a lifespan of 30 years, before being restored for agricultural use.

During the operational life, however, part of the site would continue to be available for grazing.

In support of the application, Zaravolt stated several environmental assessments suggested the development would have none or minimal adverse effect on the surrounding landscape, ecology, flooding, access, glint or glare, of local heritage assets.

“The proposal is a temporary development with relatively low impact and potential for some lower intensity agricultural activity.”

Only one latter of opposition has been received following publication of details of the application.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) queries the agricultural grade of the land, which it states would be a, “substantial ground for objection”.

But other bodies, including the Ramblers’ Association and Easington Village Parish Council have no objection, providing secure screening is provided by native hedging.

Should committee members agree with the recommended approval the site would have to start to be developed within three years, while approval for improvement of the site access from the B1283 would have to also be agreed by the planning authority.