OBJECTIONS have been lodged for a solar panel array on a farm site between Puddletown and Tolpuddle.

The owners of Burleston Farmhouse, Dorchester Road at Burleston are asking for a 20kW solar panel system on a 400 square metre paddock adjacent to the farmhouse. It will use 66 panels in six rows, each of 11 panels, which the application says will be below the hedgerow to screen it from the road and neighbours.

One neighbour has written to say that the hedge will not screen the panels, especially in winter: “the installation will be clearly visible from the highway and could distract drivers on a stretch of road prior to a significant bend where, despite the bypass, cars do still lose control and leave the carriageway.”

Others say the array will impact on the local landscape and could lead to a precedent where other paddocks and large gardens are used for solar panels.

The capacity of the site has also been questioned by Puddletown Area Parish Council which has objected to the application: “The applicant states that installation is for domestic use – however based on accepted national average figures (OFGEM) this installation would produce roughly six times what is considered the average for domestic needs.

“Furthermore the proposed location falls within the Piddle Valley Pasture as characterised by the West Dorset Landscape Character Assessment 2009. If approved, this installation would set a precedent for similar developments which would negatively impact on this valuable landscape and it’s “very rural and tranquil character,” said the council statement.

The application is expected to be decided under delegated powers by a planning officer.