Sevenoaks councillors set to debate controversial solar farm on green belt land
Developers push for approval amid local opposition
A controversial solar farm proposed on green belt land is set to be debated again after a previous decision was pushed back.
Councillors in Sevenoaks recognise the need to wean off dependency on energy from overseas sources and say recent international events have created a “rush” for solar.
But many members argue the proposals, on farmland between Ridley and New Ash Green, are not in the right place and would, in the grand scheme of things, carry a “woefully small” benefit.
The scheme, dubbed New Ash Green Solar, was first submitted to Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) in December 2024.
Evolution Power has been seeking permission from the authority to build a 49.9 Megawatt (MW) solar array which would cover about 235 acres of land.
The developers insist the plot, made up of 72,000 individual solar panels, would produce enough energy to power 17,200 homes, and save 11,500 tonnes of CO2 a year.
In their application they stress there is not “sufficient renewable energy generation capacity within the Sevenoaks district to meet current and future energy demands”.
They add: “Solar energy is the only realistic option to deliver the significant quantities of new renewable electricity required within Sevenoaks, with other low carbon and renewable technologies not suitable for deployment within the district at the required scale.”
They also say that if Sevenoaks was to attempt to become net zero by 2050 using solar energy alone, “it requires circa 723 hectares of land to be developed for solar energy production.”
This, they estimate, would be the equivalent of 12 or 13 sites of similar size to this one in the district.
The project would operate for 40 years before returning the land to its original state.
However, the bid has drawn criticism from campaigners, with more than 70 people attending a previous development management committee meeting in January to oppose the plans.
Planning officers were recommending that members vote to grant planning permission.
Despite this, the committee intended to refuse it, but could not devise planning grounds on which to do so.
As such, they deferred it to further investigate, and the application is back before the committee tomorrow (June 2) for the final call.
Solar farm opponent Peter Tasker expressed his disappointment at the time and said he didn’t believe “there is any further debate that needs to be done”.
“I’m disappointed they have taken this decision to defer,” he said. “It’s unprecedented and needs to be resolved quickly.”
Officers are still recommending that members vote to grant the planning permission.
Cllr Perry Cole (Con), who represents the area alongside his wife Penny, said they are both “absolutely 110% against this application and behind the opposition”.
The plans sparked the creation of the No NAGS campaign group, which has organised opposition to the solar farm.
Their website describes them as a local resident’s society “determined to stop the destruction of our pristine countryside that is enjoyed by many different visitors from all over the country”.
More than 1,300 public comments have been submitted to SDC’s planning portal regarding the plans – with the majority against.
“There are a whole host of reasons why many people have felt the need to step forward,” Cllr Perry Cole said.
He stressed that, being farmland in the green belt, the site is “not the right location for a solar array”.
“We recognise that we need energy in this country, events in Ukraine and the Straits of Hormuz have highlighted our dependency on energy from overseas sources,” Cllr Cole added.
“It doesn’t mean first come, first served, you should get it – it’s created a new Klondike rush.
“In the overall scheme of things it’s a woefully small amount of electricity that probably won’t benefit local residents.”
Many large solar farms are specified as generating no more than 49.9MW, because ones with a capacity of 50MW or more do not go to council planning committees for approval.
Solar arrays of that size instead require Development Consent Orders from the government, which can take even longer and thus be costly.
Cllr Cole stressed that the site also sits over an aquifer, and raised concerns such a development could affect the water supply, given recent water issues in the West Kent area.
“We’re not against the principal of solar power, we have it ourselves at home, I‘m an advocate of it,” he added.