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The deputy prime minister is set to make a decision on whether a solar energy company can install panels on approximately 52 hectares of farmland in North Yorkshire. Angela Rayner intervened in the decision-making process just days before Harmony Energy Ltd’s appeal hearing against the council’s refusal of the proposed development in Old Malton. Instead of leaving it to a planning inspector, Ms Rayner, who also holds the position of secretary of state for housing, communities, and local government, deemed it necessary for her to make the decision due to the significant impact on the government’s Climate Change and energy policy goals.

The land at the center of the appeal has been farmed by tenant farmers Robert and Emma Sturdy for three generations. The Sturdys were relieved when the application was rejected, as it would have taken away a significant portion of their land. Mrs. Sturdy expressed the toll it had taken on their mental health and the stress and financial burden it had caused. Speaking on their behalf at the hearing was George Dunn, CEO of the Tenant Farmers Association, who supported the committee’s decision to refuse the application.

Harmony Energy emphasized the importance of siting the solar development close to the electricity substation for optimal connection. While the panels would impact agricultural land, the company claimed to have made efforts to utilize the least productive land. The final decision will be made by Ms Rayner based on the inspector’s recommendation.

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