Solar farm approved near former colliery

A new solar farm has been approved on land near a former coal mine.

The scheme, at Seaham, was backed by Durham County Council's planning committee.

Developer Environmena will build the facility on land west of Admiralty Way and construction is expected to take 16 weeks when it begins later this year.

Kevin Shaw, county councillor for nearby Dawdon, said it marked a significant step forward for the site.

The solar farm will be in operation for 40 years, after which time the equipment will be removed and the land reinstated, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Shaw told the planning meeting: "This development is within 100 yards of where the former Dawdon Colliery was.

"We had 100 years of extracting coal, which had a huge impact on the environment.

"I would rather see this development come forward than think back to where we previously were.

"It was a horrendous environment to grow up in as a kid, and you think what the benefits of these are and the impact on the environment, it's negligible."

Some councillors voiced concerns over the farm's appearance with Councillor Doug Oliver, who represents Lanchester, saying the "combination of metal and glass on open green space is overwhelmingly not well received and that has an impact".

However, he added his worries were outweighed by "the need for green energy".

Environmena said it had worked closely with local businesses and authorities to develop the application.

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