A HOMEOWNER has been given permission to place solar panels on an agricultural field next to his house.

The 22 panels will generate 9.7 kilowatts of electricity to help power Sean Roberts’ home of Nannys Lane in Kingcoed, a hamlet south of Raglan.

Monmouthshire Council planning officer Kate Young approved the application for the two south-facing rows of 11 panels measuring approximately 1.72 metres by 1.13m on a lightweight rail system resting directly on the ground.

The panels will be set at a 15-degree pitch with a maximum height of only 0.6m above existing ground level, well below the height of surrounding hedgerows.

The field is outside the residential curtilage but under the same ownership, and will remain intact with the grass capable of continued grazing while the low profile of the panels will allow continued vegetation growth beneath and between them, ensuring the land remains permeable and supports grassland flora.

Ms Young said Welsh planning policies supports renewable energy generation on all scales, while the proposals meet Monmouthshire’s planning policies and the field is bordered by mature hedgerows and trees, which limit visibility from nearby homes and public vantage points.

The nearest public viewpoint is a footpath to the south though only partial, filtered views would be possible through vegetation while the nearest home, other than Mr Roberts’, is 90 metres to the south west and “set at a much higher elevation”.

She said the panels will have “very little visual impact in the wider landscape” and their dark colour will protect the rural character of the area.

There were no objections and the field is served by the existing private drive to Mr Roberts’ home, which is wide enough for the light vehicles used during installation and for occasional maintenance to access it.

All equipment and any associated works will have to be removed within six months of the panels no longer being used.