Campaigners fly banner in protest over solar farm

Campaigners have flown a banner as part of a protest against plans for a 2000-acre solar farm.

Hundreds of residents took part in a community walk on the Fosse Way in Wiltshire in opposition to Lime Down Solar Park.

Island Green Power (IGP), which is behind the plans, wants to build solar panels on farmland near Malmesbury to produce enough energy to power 115,000 homes.

The campaign group said it was not opposed to solar power, but it did object to the "industrial scale" of the Lime Down project.

Plans were unveiled last March for one of the biggest solar parks in the country which would span across the villages of Hullavington, Stanton St Quintin, Sherston and Luckington in north Wiltshire.

Members have organised events to draw attention to their campaign including a 3.5-mile (5.6km) walk along the Fosse Way, passing along countryside which would be affected by the plans.

Campaigners flew a banner above the countryside reading: "No to corporate greed - Stop Lime Down."

IGP said the Lime Down project would "support national and regional aims to decarbonise our electricity systems and bolster our energy security".

Senior project manager Will Threlfall said: "We are grateful for the feedback we received to the previous stage of our consultation, which continues to inform the refinement of our plans for the project and is helping us to develop our proposals responsibly, and in a way that recognises local community and stakeholder views."

It was expected to submit an application for development consent later this year.

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