A proposed solar fram at Georgeham has been turned down by the NDC planning commitee. Picture for illustration only.

Fears 11 hectare solar farm would be too intrusive.

Plans for a ‘solar farm’ at Georgeham have been turned down because it was deemed to be ‘visually unacceptable’.

Councillors at Wednesday’s planning committee meeting said the 75 rows or arrays of photovoltaic panels proposed for fields at Barton Close Farm should be refused, despite officers recommending conditional approval.

In their decision they said the application would have ‘unacceptable visual impact on the coastal preservation area, in particular the ridge along the northern part of the site leading down to Spreacombe Valley’.

The application has received 22 letters of object and three of support, with Mortehoe Parish Council recommending refusal because on the grounds of over development and it felt the 11 hectare scheme represented ‘creeping industrialisation’ of the landscape.

Developers claimed the 5.5MW ‘farm’ would have the potential capacity to generate enough power for 1,295 homes.