A SCHEME for a solar farm in the Test Valley countryside has stalled after planning chiefs put the decision on hold.

Southern area councillors were due to debate Kronos’ plans for a 185,472 solar park on 149 acres of agricultural land at Eveley Farm in Houghton near Stockbridge but the debate was deferred to allow planning officials more time to go through changes to the Government’s strategy on green power that come into force this month.

Kronos project manager Makan Yarandi criticised the move, claiming the reforms did not apply to the Eveley Farm project.

He said that the ministerial statement is primarily aimed at housing and only the first part of it is relevant to solar farms.

“This part itself relates to higher grade agricultural land only, which is clearly defined, and does not apply in our case, so we cannot see how this has any impact on the proposal at Eveley Farm, particularly if, as we know, the officers accept that there is now no issue with land classification.

“Overall, we are extremely disappointed with Test Valley Borough Council’s decision on this matter,” said Mr Yarandi.

Government reforms concentrate on permitted development rights aimed at encouraging much larger scale solar panels on non-domestic buildings.

But they are also aimed at protecting England’s natural and historic environment through a framework which is used to guide decision-making by local authorities.

In the Government statement it says: “It is quite clear that local councils should take into account the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land.

"Yet, some local communities have genuine concerns that when it comes to solar farms insufficient weight has been given to these protections. Public acceptability for solar energy is being eroded by the public response to large-scale solar farms which have sometimes been sited insensitively.”

The revised scheme replaced an ever larger one which was rejected by councillors last year.