TWO Solar farms could be built within miles of each other near Weymouth.

Two solar energy companies have submitted proposals to West Dorset District Council to install the projects north and south of Nottington Lane.

Inazin Solar proposes to build a large solar park at Corton Farm in Friar Waddon which would provide energy to around 3,500 homes and cover 70 acres.

Wessex Solar Energy submitted plans for a £6m solar farm to be built on North Farm on Nottington Lane, Buckland Ripers.

It would see 75,000 solar panels installed across two fields and provide energy to 1,200 homes in Chickerell.

The sites are within five miles of each other.

Both companies invited residents to have their say on their proposals at a public exhibition.

Stuart Homewood of Inazin said: “We would be installing around 60,000 panels which would be no higher than one metre off the ground.

“The capacity of the site is proposed to be 15 megawatts, enough to save 8,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

“Corton Farm enjoys high sun hours on south-facing ground, ensuring good power generation.”

He added: “There are also few residential properties in the immediate vicinity, the nearest being more than 500 metres away.”

The development would have a lifespan of 30 years and a hedgerow would surround it.

A smaller farm installed covering 16.9 hectares is planned on North Farm.

Johnny Wearmouth, of Wessex Solar Energy, said: “The initiative would generate around five megawatts and the panels would be no more than 3.5 metres high and have a life of 25 years.”

The application is currently undetermined and comments are invited by July 20.

Many residents say these plans would ‘destroy’ the beauty of rural Dorset.

They also claim they have not been consulted properly about plans for Corton Farm.

Dr Michael Davies, of Nottington Lane, said: “I would be caught up in the middle of both.

“They would destroy an area of natural beauty.”

He added: “For proposals at Corton Farm an exhibition was held in the parish of Portesham and as we fall under Chickerell a lot of us were not consulted.”

John Weeden, of Tatton Farm, said the plans were a ‘terrible’ idea after farming on Nottington Lane for 76 years.

He said: “Corton Farm has the best farming land in Dorset so a solar farm would be a terrible idea.”

Another resident Dil Dhillon, of Tatton House on Nottington Lane, said: “The larger solar farm would be right under Hardy’s monument and would ruin the landscape.”

Robert Gutteridge of Ridge Farm of Nottington Lane said: “There are so many places these farms could go that aren’t in areas of beauty.”

Residents have their say

RESIDENTS aired their views about plans for Corton Farm at a Chickerell town council meeting.

Dr Michael Davies and Robert Gutteridge of Nottington Lane shared their objections with speaker Stuart Homewood of Inazin Solar.

The council decided to object to the plans with five members voting to reject it while the rest abstained.

Coun Mike Jolliffee said: “It would have a big impact. This is not the right place for it.”

Coun Elaine Whyte along with two others said they were not well informed enough to make a decision.

Chesil Bank Parish Council also registered their objection to the planning application.