PLANS to build a 50-acre solar farm on green belt land have been recommended for refusal by council officers.

Farmers Paul and Mark Woodford want to lease farmland between Fambridge Road and Canewdon Road, Canewdon to solar panel company Solar Assets for 25 years, generating renewable energy for some 4,125 homes.

Although Canewdon Parish Council backed the plans, officers at Rochford District Council have recommended them for refusal, ahead of a vote by district councillors on Thursday.

In a draft report, officers cited the fact the development was on green belt land and that no “very special circumstances” had been put forward to outweigh the “harm to the openness” of the green belt in Rochford.

They added the proposal would “adversely affect the open and rural undeveloped landscape” around the River Crouch, which falls under the coastal protection belt, where planning restrictions are particularly stringent.

Tristan Tonks, of Solar Assets, said he was disappointed by the recommendation, but said it was up to councillors to weight up the comparative benefits of clean, green energy against the temporary loss of green belt.

He said: “Councillors going into elections will be nervous about it, but we hope the public is behind this.

“The only real objections put forward are the loss of green belt, but there are no renewables currently in the area, which is against Government policy, so it will be a difficult decision for councillors.

“We would encourage anyone who supports the application to let their councillors know.”

Mr Tonks added new Government regulations also meant half the revenue generated would be going to Canewdon and Ashingdon parishes.

He said: “They now require us to set aside 50 per cent of the project to be owned by the community, sowhat wewill be doing there is setting up a community- interest company which will pay £20,000 a year between the two local parishes – for Canewdon that is almost as much as its precept.”