Villagers are in uproar over plans to “industrialise” the countryside with a sprawling 250-acre solar and battery farm.

The scheme was first mooted in 2021, but now a formal application for the site near Canterbury has been lodged by developers Enso Energy.

It is claimed the development site, earmarked for the picturesque Nethergong Valley between the villages of Hoath and Chislet, will be able to power more than 13,615 homes.

But some neighbours are appalled at what they say will be a blight on the countryside from which it will never recover.

Among dozens of objectors is villager Dr Bhupinder Singh who fears the development would cause “permanent and irreversible destruction to the rural landscape character”.

“Over 100 hectares of open countryside would be industrialised by solar arrays, fencing, CCTV, battery units, and warning signs, completely undermining the area's historic rural beauty,” he says in a letter to Canterbury City Council (CCC).

He also dismisses Enso’s claim of a net gain for the area’s biodiversity as “not credible”.

“Destroying mature farmland ecosystems, hedgerows, and thickets cannot be replaced simply by sowing generic wildflower mixes under solar panels,” he says.

And he flags up the major fire safety risks associated with solar farms and especially battery storage.

Justifying the location, Enso admits the site is partly located on some of the best and most versatile farmland.

But it claims no other suitable brownfield or lower-grade land is available within a viable distance of the grid connection point.

The company also insists the public benefits of this scheme, which they claim will save the equivalent of 9,238 tonnes of CO2 per year, are “sufficient enough to outweigh any harm to the setting of the heritage assets”.

In its application summary, the company adds: “The development will contribute to the decarbonisation of the UK energy supply, the Net Zero 2050 emissions target and other national energy and climate policies.”

“During operations, the soil will benefit from a resting period and low-intensity livestock grazing can occur between the panels.

“At the end of its approved operational period (up to 40 years), the solar farm will be decommissioned and return to its previous agricultural use.”

The strength of feeling among villagers in Hoath, Chislet and Upstreet was evident on Tuesday afternoon at a public meeting in Hoath village hall, called and chaired by city councillor Rachel Carnac and attended by almost 80 objectors.

Representatives from Enso were also present with display boards of the scheme, but to listen to villagers’ concerns rather than answer formal questions.

Cllr Carnac told villagers there is clear planning policy to resist the application, which says: “Additional weight to be given to the benefits of renewable and low-carbon energy proposals which are community-led, or which can be shown to have the support of the local community.”

She said: “It is clear from testimony at the meeting that this does not have community support and unclear why this site was chosen, or why it is suitable, especially given its heritage and environment.”

Chairman of Hoath Parish Council, Imogen Morizet added: “Four years after this first raised its head, public awareness has increased regarding the problematic impact of on-ground solar, and policy reflecting the awareness of the nation's dangerous biodiversity levels.

“Biodiversity loss and net zero must go hand-in-hand in the climate change challenge.”

The deadline for comments on the planning application is Friday, May 9.