09-06-2025
Plans for huge solar farm will 'spoil views of Malvern Hills', residents say
Plans for a 271-acre solar farm in Worcestershire will 'ruin views of the Malvern Hills ', according to concerned residents.
The proposed development would span countryside near Powick and would be spread over chunks of land around the main A road in the area, the A449.
If it gets the go ahead, the solar farm will cover an area equivalent to around 170 football pitches.
It is understood by ITV News that three different farmers would be required to lease their land to the company behind the proposals for it to be feasible.
Concerned locals from Preserve Powick Landscape and Nature (PPLAN) say the plans will destroy the landscape, be damaging for wildlife and increase fire risk.
They say they are also worried about the increase in traffic and noise pollution in the area.
Pictures from SWNS
The group has put up signs around the site and recently they marched through the affected fields in an attempt to halt the proposals.
Speaking to ITV News Central, campaigner Andrea Trickett-Born said: "It's habitat loss, it's views to and from our beautiful Malvern Hills. It's the road works on the A449 which is a single carriage way road, which are going to take place for seven months plus.
"But mainly, our beautiful countryside and losing this beautiful vista. If Covid has taught us anything it is to preserve our green spaces."
Meanwhile, Jo Loader said hundreds of thousands of people visit the Malvern Hills each year and they want to protect the area for everyone to be able to enjoy for years to come.
"We want to preserve the views, they are really special", she added.
RWE Renewables UK Solar & Storage Ltd, the company behind the plans, said: "Providing a sustainable, secure home-grown source of clean electricity is essential to the UK's power security and to helping meet the Government's Clean Power 2030 targets - solar power is low cost, easy and quick to deploy while the land can be returned to its original agricultural use at the end of the project's lifecycle.
"We appreciate there will be contrary opinions, and as such engagement and opportunity to encourage and listen to feedback is a cornerstone of RWE's approach to any project, including at Chapel Hill Solar Farm. The project equally has its support – during consultation in the Autumn of 2023 over 54% of feedback respondents stated that they supported the proposal for Chapel Hill Solar Farm.
"Feedback as a whole has been positive, with a widespread recognition of the need for renewable energy to help tackle climate change, the ecological crisis and the UK's energy security."
It added: "The batteries we propose to use are lithium-ion batteries which are exactly the same as in your mobile phone. It is safe technology. The batteries we propose to use already have significant safety measures built into them, in line with national fire chief battery guidance, that help prevent the risk of fire in the first place."
A decision on whether plans will move forward is expected in the autumn.
