A PROPOSED solar farm on land at Blackawton has been likened to 'a prison camp' by local residents.

An application has been lodged with South Hams Council for a solar farm on 22 acres of land at Yonder Parks, just off the A3122.

The 70 solar arrays and associated infrastructure will sit on 19 acres of the site, with a steel security fence and CCTV cameras surrounding it.

One local resident who asked not to be named, but lives at Stone House Farm and so owns land alongside the entrance to the site, is one of a group of objectors – residents and businesses – whose properties lie within close range.

They feel the development will 'change the landscape and area in an irreversibly negative way'.

Last week the group wrote a letter to the council detailing the impact the solar farm will have.

The resident said: 'We are ordinary people who are affected by these huge installations, ordinary people whom the local planning department seem to be ignoring and trampling on in the "gold rush" of renewable energy taking place in the south west.

'In total, there are seven residents that are directly opposite and two businesses. A further five residents and one more business are further away but are still directly affected. Some residents live less than 12 metres away.

'We will see them [the solar panels] when we open our bedroom curtains in the morning, we will see them when we go out of our homes to work and when we return. We will see them when we are gardening or just trying to sit in peace outside in our gardens.

'This will have a dramatic and immediate impact on the quality of our lives. There will be no escape and it will also effect anyone going for a drink who wants to sit outside at the Sportsman's Arms or have a cup of tea at Garden Time Nursery.

'The first thing you will see as you drive into Dartmouth is this industrial solar park. The site will be an industrial site and will totally destroy the spectacular views of the countryside. It will change the landscape and area in an irreversibly negative way.

'There has been no community consultation from the company.

'The landowner only notified us that they were considering a proposal and made the commitment that they would consult with residents to answer any concerns once the application would be submitted. This was not done.

'A farmer gets a profit of £1,000 per acre, compared to growing crops which gives them a profit of £450. Farmers are business people at the end of the day – so from their point of view this is fantastic.

'We want to support renewable energy – but it has shown to be more efficient when put on housing. Farmers are forgetting their community obligation and are siting these solar farms as far as possible from their own farms, it's outrageous.'

The residents are also aware of a number of animal species such as badgers, horseshoe bats and endangered birds, whose habitats they claim will be 'destroyed' if the application goes ahead.

In the letter, they state: 'This solar park will have a serious impact on the local wildlife especially since there are already so many endangered species struggling to find appropriate habitats.

'There have been numerous studies where solar farms have a detrimental effect on the local habitat for wildlife, especially in relation to bats, birds and other wildlife.'

The application has been submitted by Maria Bailey Planning, based in Bideford, on behalf of Spanish solar company Padero Solaer and has received around 40 objections already.

Residents living at Brimble Barn said in their objection: 'Not only will the site in question resemble a prison camp due to the security fencing to be erected, it will now be surveilled like one too. Everytime we enter or leave our home and travel up the access lane as we must our movements will be caught on CCTV.

'This is a gross intrusion into our private lives.

'The "stock answer" of the developer to such objections is that the cameras point downward towards the panels. This is utter nonsense.'

Maria Bailey Planning was contacted by the Chronicle but has not yet responded.

To view the planning application and documents go to http://www.south">www.south hams.gov.uk and search for application reference 06/2883/13/F.