The debate over whether land should be used for growing food or producing green energy has been reignited after a planning inspector over-ruled a council's decision to refuse planning permission for a solar farm.
West Norfolk Council turned down proposals by Regener8 Power for 31,800 panels on 100 acres of land at Sedgeford, near Heacham, in November, after councillors were warned it would lead to the loss of valuable agricultural land.
The decision has now been overturned at an appeal meaning the scheme, off Fring Road, can go ahead.
The planning inspector said the land was free-draining and drought-prone, which "severely" affected its productivity.
Their report said the site, which accounted for less than 10pc of the farm business, produced lower yields than its other holdings.
It added: "Use of the site for solar power generation would provide a more predictable and steady income which would actually support the viability of the farming operation as a whole."
Sheep would continue to graze around the panels, meaning the fields would remain in agricultural use.
But West Norfolk Council leader Terry Parish said: "Leaving aside the more general concern that planning inspectors can overturn a decision made by a democratically elected body, I remain committed, in principle, to being against the ever-growing acreage of farmland, capable of growing a crop, being covered in solar panels.
"The preferential place for such panels is on the roofs of properties, domestic, commercial and public. On those they benefit the occupants, saving them money."
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The Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE) also objected to the application.
Mr Parish said: "Solar farms are generally built and operated by companies interested in long-term financial gain.
"They are advertised as supplying electricity for X-thousand homes.
"They don’t say where those homes are as electricity generated goes onto the national grid.
"Energy can be produced in a variety of ways, but food production generally needs land."
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