Climate emergency For Solar Powered Life

The biggest concerns centred around harm to the surrounding landscape and the loss of farmland used for wheat production.

Applicant Leicestershire Solar One Limited's revised version removed solar panels from two fields, created tree buffers around the edge of other fields and increased the amount of hedges to be included.

Councillor Anne Parry said: "I don't have a problem with the solar farm on the Harbury side, with Fosse Way I think that is perfectly appropriate. But I do have a problem with a wrap-around solar farm abutting Ufton village.

"We refused it for all the right reasons last time and in my view the changes haven't been significant."

Mr Keighley, among those to be swayed the other way, said: "Having been to the site, I can see there is some impact from the solar panels on that field, although I think they are probably less than significant.

"The loss of agricultural land is temporary and it is imperative for us, having declared a climate emergency, to support solar farms and renewable energy - that is made very clear in the officer's report.

"The benefits outweigh the harm to the landscape."