PLANS to build a solar power farm on land near an east Durham industrial estate have been approved.

Durham County Councillors backed the planning application at a meeting a County Hall on Tuesday.

Up to 20,000 solar panels are to be installed on 25 acres of agricultural land, near Peterlee’s North West Industrial Estate.

They would be mounted on fixed frames at 25-degree angles, with a maximum height of 2.5m and have a potential capacity of five megawatts, generating approximately 5,000 mw hours per year.

The 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.

Members of the planning committee accepted senior planning officer Peter Herbert advice and approved the scheme.

In a report Mr Herbert said: “National planning policy is supportive of energy generation by renewable means, and this includes solar energy development.

“Therefore there is a presumption in favour of such planning applications. The site lies within undesignated landscape. There would be limited negative landscape impacts, but these are judged to be slight, localised, and capable of mitigation through hedge planting which can be conditioned.”