Island Green Power has submitted a contentious planning application to construct the Lime Down Solar Park, which will cover over 2,000 acres of countryside north of the M4 near Malmesbury, Wiltshire. Promising to generate enough energy for approximately 115,000 homes annually, the solar farm faces significant opposition from local councillors and residents who express concerns about its potential to mar the natural landscape.
The solar park would stretch four miles wide and two miles deep, featuring solar panels reaching a height of 14.7 feet—comparable to a double-decker bus—making it a UK-first. Additionally, the project plans to install large battery storage systems, with some structures towering as high as a five-story building. The infrastructure will include a 196-foot wide corridor for a 12.4-meter cable leading to a substation in Melksham, which will also pass beneath major transportation lines.
Local councillors, who will not have a direct vote on the proposal, have voiced their discontent, labeling the project an “industrial solar factory” and warning that it would transform the area’s serene landscape into an industrialized zone, creating a permanent mark on the countryside. Councillor Martin Smith voiced his concerns during a July meeting, stating that the solar farm would leave a lasting detrimental effect on Wiltshire’s natural beauty.
The Planning Inspectorate will determine if the application can proceed for examination by October 17, with multiple stages of scrutiny expected that could extend over a year. The outcome of the application can be contested, and grounds for judicial review may arise at the High Court.
As the UK government strives to achieve 95% clean energy by 2030, the decision regarding Lime Down Solar Park may have significant implications for both the fight against climate change and the preservation of local landscapes.
