PLANS for another solar farm in Broughton Gifford could soon be submitted to Wiltshire Council, raising concerns from residents that they are being besieged.

The scheme by British Solar Renewables (BSR) would see an approximately 25 acre site built off Melksham Lane near Priory Farm.

Melksham councillor Terry Chivers said: “I certainly won’t be supporting it, Broughton Gifford is basically surrounded by solar farms.

“As far as I know the public consultation will be held at the end of August but we don’t know when they will put in a planning application.

“I think it would probably be rejected as it is so close to the other ones but this is the one for me that breaks the camel’s back.

“I would hope at the public consultation that if the objection to it is that strong, which I think it will be, that the developer would basically respect the views of the public and back off.”

In a response to Cllr Chivers from BSR, he was informed an application for a 5MW scheme had recently been submitted to Wiltshire Council.

He was also told this was done without a community consultation as new government measures announced last week to cut subsidy on renewable energy meant “BSR had no other option but to proceed with the submission of the application”.

Solar farms are already in place at Leechpool and Norrington, with plans rejected for Little Chalfield and Staddlestones over the last few years.

Daniel Gerber, who owns the Grade II listed Gifford Hall, recently won a High Court battle that could potentially see the dismantling of the Norrington Solar Farm after it was deemed to have been built with unlawful planning permission.

He said: “It is simply astounding that this will be the fifth, large-scale solar farm proposed for Broughton Gifford.

“The Wiltshire Council Planning Officers pushed to approve the first three, but fortunately the fourth solar farm did not make it past the screening stage.

“The Norrington Solar Farm was unlawfully approved and unlawfully constructed, as the awareness in the village was non-existent – and a single planning officer decided it.

“Luckily, Cllr Chivers has raised awareness regarding this new solar farm and will call this application in when it is received.”

Martin Freeman, a Broughton Gifford resident, said: “It feels like it’s being rushed through in order to grab the higher subsidies.

“Absolutely I think people are going to be against it and it does feel like we are being besieged.”