SIR,

A proposal has been submitted by the owners of Buckwell Farm near Shirenewton to install over 32,000 solar panels covering 40 plus acres of farmland.

The site borders Wentwood, a popular riding and walking area, and sits within a special landscape area.

This application follows a simliar application recently refused at Llanvapley after a sucessful campaign by a community group called BYTH.

South Wales is fortunate in having plentiful brownfield land at former Docs and industrial areas of Newport, Cardiff and Port Talbot, and so to cover good agricultural land, and ruin the amenity value of a pristine part of Wales would seem to be madness.

Recently Eric Pickles has proposed that in England a right to veto such projects should be enschrined in law stating that planners must not place green policies ahead of all other consideratons.

The site will create no local jobs, nor benefit the local community, it will however blight an area of local beauty by covering an area the size of an airport with panels that, with their dark non-relfective surfaces, resemble tarmac.

(Name and address supplied)