Woolpots solar farm plan to be reconsidered after legal challenge

Plans to build a 126-acre (50 hectare) solar farm in North Yorkshire are to be reconsidered after a High Court judge quashed a previous decision to grant permission.

The Woolpots scheme, near the village of Husthwaite, was approved on appeal in October 2025, after being refused by North Yorkshire Council.

This was then overturned in August following a legal challenge from resident Philip Hewitson, who argued that the plan did not properly consider the impact on the landscape.

The Planning Inspectorate has now said the appeal will be reconsidered, with a hearing set for 25 November.

The scheme, proposed by Woolpots Solar Farm Ltd, includes solar panels capable of exporting around 32MW of electricity.

It would also incorporate a battery energy storage facility (BESS) with a capacity of 37MWh, comprising up to 32 battery containers and associated infrastructure, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service .

The council initially refused permission over concerns about the impact on the surrounding landscape, views from the Howardian Hills and the loss of high-quality agricultural land.

The High Court decision does not mean the solar farm must be refused permission, but requires the appeal to be determined again.

Opponents say around 70% of the proposed development site comprises the best and most versatile agricultural land.

Husthwaite parish councillor Sarah Aspinall said there was growing concern about the concentration of solar developments across the wider Hambleton area.

She said: "There has also been a steady increase in the number of pending and approved solar and battery storage applications in the wider Hambleton area, with many concerned – both within and outside our parish – about cumulative impact and industrialisation of the countryside."

The applicant has not responded to requests from the Local Democracy Reporting Service to comment on the scheme.

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