New Forest National Park Authority accused of “hypocrisy” by clean energy firm Enviromena as it looks set to refuse solar panel proposals at Netley Marsh farm

THE national park authority has been accused of hypocrisy as plans for a 25-acre solar farm at Netley Marsh are set to be thrown out.

The scheme, by the Reading-based clean energy firm Enviromena, will go before the NPA’s planning committee next Tuesday, with a recommendation from officers to refuse due to impacts on the “highly protected” national park.

But criticising this recommendation, Mark Harding, European development director of Enviromena, said this was “an opportunity to support real change in the Forest”.

He said the application process had been “extremely difficult, and smacks of hypocrisy given the national park’s net zero targets”.

The plan – with associated infrastructure, engineering works, access and landscaping – at Thornlands Farm in Fletchwood Road had previously received the enthusiastic support of Netley Marsh Parish Council.

However, concerns have been raised by environmental watchdog group Friends of the New Forest, as well as a number of NPA officers and consultees.

A report to planning committee members has revealed the authority’s archaeologist and ecologist had objected, claiming the applicant had not provided enough information to demonstrate the scheme would not be harmful.

Feedback from the NPA’s landscape officer further claimed: “The proposed development does not retain the intrinsic value of the landscape. Screening from public right of way will be partial, with seasonal differences.”

The report continued: “The semi-industrial nature of ground mounted solar arrays, and the substations required to make the array functional, the fencing and hedgerows planted where there is no historic context, and the visual impact on the natural landscape all lead me to conclude that the proposals would have an unacceptable impact on the landscape character of this part of the national park.”

NPA planning officers concluded that as a “major development”, it had not been adequately demonstrated that the facility should be within the highly protected national park as opposed to on land outside of it.

Mr Harding said: “So far, our application has been received very negatively by the NPA, and there has been little direction or willingness to help us.

“This is despite backing from Netley Marsh Parish Council, whose members unanimously agreed to support the application as they could see the case for clean energy located on a site very well screened from public view. This show of support from the residents in the local area demonstrates that the locals do not have any objection to living near the proposed site.”

Mr Harding added: “In a given year, the carbon footprint of the residents of the New Forest National Park is estimated to be 28% higher than the UK average. By looking to put in place renewable projects, like this solar farm that we’re proposing, would go some way to help offset these carbon emissions.”

A decision on the application will be made at the NPA planning committee meeting on Tuesday 18th June.