A solar farm with 14,925 panels next to junction four of the A1(M) has been approved by Welwyn Hatfield councillors.

The Green Belt land, near Stanborough Park in Welwyn Garden City as well as the Oldings Corner roundabout and retail park, has previously been used for car boot sales.

Developer J. Reddington Ltd can now install panels with a capacity of 10MW – enough power for around 3,000 homes – on 3.1m-high racks across land that is roughly the size of 14 football pitches.

Underground cables will be used to connect the solar farm with ‘Welwyn Primary’ substation. 

Fences, security gates and cameras will also be installed, as well as a 1.5MW battery energy storage system.

Permission was granted for a ‘temporary’ period of 25 years, and council officers noted it was intended to be fully reversible “with no lasting impacts on the land”.

None of the consultees raised objections in principle, though the proposed height of the fences was raised to 2.4m after Herts police expressed concern about potential crime.

Stuart Downs, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the farm represented “an investment of millions of pounds into the national energy grid”.

“The council can achieve its aims, as set out in its declaration of a climate emergency, without placing any burden on the taxpayer.

“The current cost-of-living crisis, rising energy bills .. and energy security concerns underscore the need for a reliable, domestic renewable energy supply that is independent of the whims of foreign, hostile states.

“The development will not only help meet our climate and security objectives but will also bolster our local economy through job creation, investment and the provision of clean energy.”

Mr Downs added the farm would cut around 1,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

Hatfield Town Council said its members were “supportive” of the application because they wished “to encourage the use of renewable energy” – but they asked the committee to consider the use of screening “to protect the local nature reserve”.

Cllr Jean-Paul Bernard Skoczsylas (LD, Sherrards), Chair of the Development Management Committee, said he was “impressed” by the site when he visited it, and added he was “struck by how much of a bowl it is” with “dense foliage” surrounding the area.

Entrance to the site will be via the A6129, with the exit being onto the A414 Great North Road. Council officers said the site already had “intrusive” noise from the nearby junction and the negative impact on the openness of the area would only be “modest”.

They concluded that “the environmental benefits of the development would significantly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and the limited impact on the landscape”, and agreed there were “very special circumstances” allowing the Green Belt development to go ahead.

All 12 councillors at Thursday's Development Management Committee meeting voted in favour of granting permission.