Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Planning row erupts over plans to turn picturesque countryside into 'crystal desert' with giant solar park

gbnews.com · 1dShare

Residents in a cluster of picturesque villages on the Warwickshire-Worcestershire border are furiously opposing plans for a vast solar farm they fear could transform some of England’s most fertile countryside into an industrial landscape. The proposed Arrow Valley Solar development would cover about 4,353 acres - an area equivalent to almost 2,500 full-size football pitches - across four zones and at least 11 parishes. Developers say the scheme could generate up to 500 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply around 235,000 homes each year and would also include battery storage facilities and a network of underground cables connecting the different sections. Because of its scale, the project is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, meaning it requires development consent rather than conventional planning permission - therefore the final decision will rest with the Secretary of State. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say A public consultation is due to begin at the e

First report: Residents up in arms over giant solar park spanning two counties which will turn rolling countryside into a 'crystal desert' — dailymail.co.uk, 1d