A HAMPSHIRE resident has slammed a developer for continuing work on a solar farm after plans to amend it were quashed by the High Court. 

Mark House, who lives near the site at Woodington Solar Limited, in Woodington Road, East Wellow, has described the situation as 'a world of pain'.

The site has a long and complex planning history. Last year, Chala Fiske, of Woodington Road, succeeded in taking a judicial review to the High Court, with a judge ruling that planned amendments were incompatible with the original conditions.

In July 2017, Test Valley Borough Council granted permission to Woodington Solar Limited for the development, which included ground-mounted solar panels and an electricity substation.

A condition said the development "shall not be carried out other than in complete accordance with the approved plans comprising drawings".

Solar farm site plan  (Image: TVBC)

READ MORE: New plans for East Wellow solar farm months on from judicial review

In May 2021, the council granted planning permission for the installation of a different electricity substation, ground-mounted solar panels, ancillary equipment, infrastructure and access. 

This was followed by a third application to vary the conditions of the original consent, which was granted in April 2022. It was this application that was unsuccessfully overturned. 

In January a new planning application was submitted to reduce the number of solar panels and alter the alignment of security fences and permissive paths. This is yet to be decided. 

Mr House is growing increasingly frustrated at the work going on. He said: “At this point, you would think everything has come to a halt. Wrong. 

Mark House (Image: Contributed)

“We still have lorries and vans on a daily basis. Woodington Solar Farm, as they are now called, says nope, nothing has been going on from their side. 

“Yes, the big trucks have stopped, well apart from one or two, but work has been going on, and as it's not visible by road, no one can see it. 

“Since the court ruling, the WSF has gone for several VARS, some stating there are tracks they want to use as access; however, these tracks currently don't exist, and neither do the cross two-foot parts.

“And the road they are coming from has been designed by UK highways as unsuitable, so again, I wonder why they even put in a VARS for access. 

“We are now one year and seven months in, no panels, and a world of pain for me and my wife.”

When asked about the enforcement investigation, a Test Valley Borough Council spokesman said:  "We follow a set process to actively investigate any site where we receive enquiries suggesting that there has been a planning breach. If we find that there has been a breach, then we will consider our next steps including the option to pursue enforcement action.”

A spokesman for Woodington Solar Limited's parent company Hive Energy confirmed that "any and all work going on at site is being done in line with planning permission(s) that have been granted, and is not affected by any judicial review decisions."

For more information about the plan, search 23/03266/VARS on Test Valley Borough Council's online planning portal.