Hempnall Village issues rallying cry as it prepares to contest solar farm

Taxpayer cash could be used to fund the fight against mega solar farms planned for Norfolk as councils gear up for legal challenges.

Hempnall Parish Council has urged surrounding authorities to ensure their budgets can carry the weight of a looming battle against the schemes.

Norfolk’s solar stock is set to increase by 17,000 acres under proposals for five huge solar farms across the county – equivalent to almost 10,000 football pitches.

While councils like Hempnall prepare to fight the projects, villagers in favour of the farms have expressed their dismay at the public purse being plundered to fund this resistance.

The council has been accused of using its tax income to fund a “nimby fight”, which could see solicitors and consultants brought in to bolster its case.

The biggest planned solar farm for the region – and the largest in the pipeline in the UK – is in Gissing, where 900 megawatts of power is expected to be generated across approximately 5,000 acres.

There are also proposals for East Pye, which will cover 2,700 acres around several villages close to Long Stratton, including Hempnall.

Noventum Power is seeking permission for another project near Long Stratton, which could span roughly 2,500 acres.

Two more Norfolk developments have been proposed on the other side of the county. These are High Grove, a 4,000-acre scheme near Dereham and Swaffham, and the Droves, spanning 2,800 acres on an adjoining site.

Because of their size, a decision on whether these projects can go ahead will ultimately rest with Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy and net zero, rather than local councils.

Hempnall Parish Council has pledged to fight “tooth and nail” against the East Pye solar farm, which would encircle the village.

It has urged dozens of surrounding authorities to consider the cost of this battle when setting their budgets for the upcoming financial period.

This has led some villagers to accuse the council of burdening the public with the cost of their “anti-green energy campaigns”.

Two concerned locals wrote to MP Ben Goldsborough to express their frustration with the parish council, which previously led a successful campaign against three 126-metre-high wind turbines in the parish and even faced down a High Court legal challenge from developers.

David Cross, chairman of Hempnall Parish Council, said: “We are confident that people want us to fight the East Pye scheme.

“We are not wasting taxpayer money; we care about the countryside and this solar farm would be transformational.

“If the majority of people didn’t want us to this, we would listen. But that is not the case.”

Cllr Cross confirmed the parish council had not allocated any specific funds or increased its own rate of council tax due to its healthy financial position.

Catherine Rowett, who represents nearby West Depwade on the county council, is among those to have raised concerns about Hempnall’s proposed expenditure on the fight.

She said: “People who shout the loudest often sound as if they have more support. and not everyone in Hempnall will share the views of the council.

“Funding for legal challenges should not be taken from council tax because they are fighting against something that a lot of people support. They do not have a mandate for this.”

Cllr Cross insisted a referendum would be held before any large sums of money are spent.