DISTRICT planning chiefs have rubber-stamped an application for a 25 hectare solar farm in Purbeck.

Purbeck District Council (PDC) planning board members agreed proposals for the 12 MW plant, set for land at Stokeford Farm, East Stoke, after visiting the site.

The applicant, Holme Estate, wants to construct a plant capable of generating enough electricity to power around 4,000 homes.

PDC received 15 comments from residents, of which 11 supported the scheme.

Issues raised by neighbours included fears of inadequate hedge screening, adverse impact on wildlife and concerns about the sustainability and reliability of the proposals.

A planning document prepared for the committee by council officers, which recommended approval, read: "The application is a scaled back version of the application that was withdrawn last year for a 15MW array covering 36 ha of land.

"It has addressed the previous officer objections relating to materially harmful impacts on the heritage assets of the Battery Bank scheduled monument and on-site archaeological remains.

"It also reduces the impact on visual amenity and agricultural land.

"All significant planning matters have now been appropriately and adequately addressed."

Last year district planners gave the green light for a 20-hectare solar farm on land previously used as a Christmas tree plantation north of Wareham.

The firm behind that proposal, for 20,000 solar panels to be installed at the Oaklands Plantation, said the 5.8MW farm would generate enough electricity to power 1,500 homes.

On that occasion the application also received strong support locally – with many nearby residents arguing in favour of the green energy scheme proposed by renewable energy supplier and generator Good Energy.