A huge solar farm in the greenbelt north of Bristol has been approved despite fears it will harm vital habitat for endangered birds and other wildlife. South Gloucestershire Council development management committee voted unanimously to grant planning permission for the project at Perrinpit Farm, near Frampton Cotterell, which will power 14,500 homes and save almost 26,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Conservationists told members the disruption and proposed use of pesticides could threaten species including skylarks, yellowhammers, brown hares, birds of prey and badgers. But the meeting heard officers recommended giving the go-ahead because the 90-hectare scheme would result in a biodiversity net gain and the benefits of helping to tackle the climate emergency outweighed the harms, including the setting of two listed buildings.
Will Weaver, whose family have farmed the land for more than 80 years, said it would provide a “lifeline” to secure agriculture for future generations. Addressing councillors at the meeting on Thursday, September 15, a spokeswoman for Frampton Cotterell Nature Group, which has 500 members, said there had been no community engagement and a promised consultation with their organisation did not happen.
