A SOLAR farm big enough to power Shaftesbury and Gillingham has been rejected – to protect the site of a former royal palace and deer park.

Dorset Council’s area planning committee decided that the use of the Park Farm site, east of Gillingham, would ruin the open nature of the landscape and close the natural gap between the town and Motcombe.

There was also fears about the effect on views from Shaftesbury and on walkers using the popular White Hart Link footpath which runs to the north of the four-field site.

Planning officers told the committee that although the size of the original proposal had been reduced and extra landscaping proposed it was still believed that the harm to the landscape and historic features would not be outweighed by the public benefit of solar power.

Motcombe parish council raised similar concerns and was also worried about the effect of installing a cable link to an electric sub station in Shaftesbury along the length of the B3081.

The developers, Fern Brook Solar Ltd, had promised a £50,000 contribution towards extra tree planting in the Gillingham Royal Forest and to improve the public footpath, if the 30MW solar application was allowed.

Dorset Echo: Site of the proposed solar farm at Park Farm, Gillingham – edged in blueSite of the proposed solar farm at Park Farm, Gillingham – edged in blue

It claimed the effect on the landscape would only be temporary, limited to 40 years, and the development would help Dorset meet climate change objectives.

Among the residents to object was Elizabeth Clinton who told the committee that using good quality agricultural land was not acceptable, that the site often flooded and that residents valued the ‘green gap’ between Gillingham and Motcombe.

“The screening proposed will still be inadequate, even in 15 years’ time” she said.

Cllr Sherry Jespersen said that site had more importance than its landscape value for local people who she said has backed the recently approved southern expansion for Gillingham, which could bring 600 new homes, but on the understanding that development would be the last in the area.

Fellow local councillor Belinda Rideout told the committee: “I can’t stress enough the importance to local people of the Royal Forest area. It is unique, undisturbed and undeveloped, not disturbed very much since medieval times…

“This would sever the landscape. It’s just not the right place for it,” she said.

The committee voted 8-4 to reject the application.