EACH week, hundreds of planning applications come before Cornwall Council’s planning department, seeking to win approval for various plans right across the Duchy.

These plans can comprise of a number of different reasonings – ranging from permission to replace windows or listed building consent ranging up to large house building developments or changing of use of a building, for instance, from an office to a café, or flats.

Within this large and often complex system, there are a number of formats from which planning advice and approval can be sought.

These range from full applications where all the details which comprise a proposed development or work to a building are submitted, to outline applications, where further details are yet to be confirmed, for example, an outline application with reserved matters for appearance may not confirm the final proposed development but rather seek permission in principle.

An example of this is one for an outline permission for 20 dwellings on land with reserved matters for appearance and scale; the reserved matters would require further permission later for their inclusion.

Other types of applications include pre-application advice requests, where would-be developers submit often outline proposals to a local authority to ascertain whether it is likely to gain support or not prior to submitting a planning application.

The vast majority of applications are decided by planning officers employed by a local authority under ‘delegated powers’, meaning they do so on behalf of their employer, however, some applications are ‘called in’ by local councillors to be discussed at an area’s strategic planning committee meeting, meaning the final decision rests with a committee of councillors.

Almost 500 people have signed a petition calling on an energy company to stop its plans to build a 106-acre solar farm on treasured countryside between Looe and Lostwithiel. Opponents to the scheme – which would be on land the equivalent of 69 football pitches – say it would have a detrimental impact on communities across Lanreath and Pelynt.

Elgin Energy has submitted a request for pre-application advice from Cornwall Council before submitting a full planning application for the 50-year project at Bocaddon Farm, Lanreath, which would include battery storage. With an expected export capacity of up to 25 megawatts, the solar farm would provide sufficient clean electricity to power approximately 9,700 average households annually. Additionally, it promises a substantial reduction in carbon emissions – around 4,979 tonnes of CO2 each year.

However, residents argue if approved it would be in completely the wrong place, within an area of great landscape value. Richard Kramer, whose house is slap-bang in the middle of the proposed development, told us: “Our message to Elgin is to reconsider, note the level of opposition and anger from local communities and not go ahead with this solar farm. We are talking about a large 106-acre solar farm, disproportionate in size to the area that would significantly downgrade the quality of our villages and will have a significant adverse impact on its character and the landscape locally.

“This isn’t just about our neighbours and communities who would be affected today. This solar farm if it goes ahead will be in place for 50 years. This will affect our children and one day their families too. We don’t want the main road to our villages from Lanreath to Looe to be blighted for generations to come by inappropriate industrial developments.”

Residents in the area had no idea the solar farm was planned until reading our story about it. They fear they will be living within a glass and metal prison, and are also concerned about noise and the effect on wildlife in an area which is a haven for bats and buzzards.

Mr Kramer said: “Elgin Energy didn’t consult the local community/residents before putting in pre-application advice and whilst it was confidential and removed from the council website, Elgin was happy to press release and inform the international solar farm community of their ‘exciting’ plans on March 18.

“The postcode for their application is our postcode but, having seen their application, they didn’t mention the residents or our home in their application at all – either this was an honest mistake by an international solar company or they were deliberately trying to hoodwink the council. Our message to Elgin Energy is that now the local community is aware of their plans, we hope they now appreciate that it will turn our beautiful landscape into an industrial estate and therefore we don’t believe it is worthwhile them continuing with their application.”

He added: “What’s happened is Elgin have got a connection to the grid, they’ve found a farmer and then they’ve gone to planning. What should happen is the solar farm provider sits down with the council and says, where would you like a solar farm?”

The proposal would be built near Bury Down, an Iron Age hill fort believed to originate between 800BC and 43AD, a 400-year-old heritage hedge which runs from Looe to Lostwithiel as well as an adjacent ancient woodland. There is also temperate rainforest at nearby West Muchlarnick, where the “nationally rare” lichen running spider was recently discovered.

Bruce Milburn, whose property sits within the valley where the solar farm would be built, said: “I’m not anti solar, but this isn’t proportionate to the environment. It will be over-industrialised for the immediate area. It’s massive – it’s too much for here. There will be lots of run-off as there won’t be any crops to stop it.

“When a wind turbine on the land went up, I thought ‘oh God’ but it’s not a problem at all, but this is an Alice in Wonderland situation – it’s just out of proportion, it’s that simple.” His wife Yolande likened it to living within an industrialised Guantanamo Bay.

The residents say they still haven’t heard from Elgin Energy who, they believe, are intending to submit a full application in the autumn.

“We are not an anti-solar campaign,” added Mr Kramer. “We understand and appreciate the aim for net zero, but not at this cost to our beautiful countryside and landscape here in South East Cornwall. Surely, it’s preferable to site solar panels on car parks, former industrial sites, beside motorways or on roofs – both agricultural and domestic – in order to retain the land for agricultural purposes?”

We have contacted Elgin Energy for a response to the concerns. Previous requests to the company for comment remain unanswered.

Bodmin Town Councillors have called for a controversial proposal for 58 homes – of which none would be affordable – to be considered by the Cornwall Council strategic planning committee.

Proposals by Wainhomes for the construction of 58 homes at land east of Pandarosa Farm in Bodmin have been recommended for approval by the authority’s planning officer.

However, out of nine Bodmin Town councillors when asked for their choice of a response to the recommendation, eight councillors voted to maintain the council’s objections and call for it to be considered by Cornwall Councillors.

• Keep up to date with the latest planning applications and other statutory notices (such as alcohol licensing and probates) that affect where you live by visiting our online Public Notice Portal – be the first to know by visiting www.publicnoticeportal.uk/cornish-times-series.