Bev erley solar farm faces national approval

Local council questions the purpose of a site discussion for the Beverley solar farm as final approval moves to a national planning body.

Council criticises Beverley solar farm approval process

East Riding Council’s planning committee debated the Peartree Hill Solar Farm project east of Beverley. The 320MW plan includes a battery energy storage system and would be decided by the government’s Planning Inspectorate rather than the council. Attendees described the meeting as unusual and some referred to the project as monstrous in scale.

The discussion highlights a friction between local planning forums and centralized national decision making as Britain expands its renewable capacity and faces the practical limits of local influence over big projects.

The split between local councils and national authorities is not new, but it is becoming more visible as energy projects grow larger. When final consent sits with a national inspectorate, questions arise about local engagement, transparency, and who bears the costs if projects go ahead. This case shows how climate goals and local governance can clash in practice.

At stake is not only the environment but public trust. Centralized approvals can speed projects, yet they risk reducing local input and generating public scrutiny or backlash if residents feel left behind in the process.

Highlights

The outcome will test how much power national rules have over local concerns.