Plans for a solar farm the size of 179 football pitches just outside Watford have been blocked by the government.

The proposals for the large renewable energy facility between Radlett and Elstree have been with the planning inspectorate on appeal since late 2022 after Hertsmere Borough Council rejected them in 2021. 

If approved, it would have seen thousands of solar panels, battery storage and underground cables built on two Green Belt sites, one north west of the Elstree Aerodrome and another west of the A5183 Watling Street.

The giant facility would have contributed 49.9 megawatts to the National Grid - enough electricity for 15,600 homes - according to the renewable energy developers Enso Energy behind the project.

Watford Observer: Marked in blue are the fields that would have been used for the solar farm.Marked in blue are the fields that would have been used for the solar farm. (Image: Elstree Green Ltd)

But on Monday, April 8, planning minister Lee Rowley shot down the appeal as he ruled that no “very special circumstances” existed to allow the project to go ahead.

Although the minister did consider the public benefit of producing renewable energy, the solar farm would have been a “noticeable discordant and jarring feature” next to local heritage assets such as the Grade-II listed Hilfield Castle, which dates to the late 1700s.

Labour councillor and planning portfolio holder Nik Oakley said: “It's a huge success in terms of saving the Green Belt and I would congratulate the campaign team who worked so hard throughout the entire process."

The councillor added: “We are obviously as a council in favour of solar power, but the scale of this and the sighting of this was simply too much.”

She suggested that all new-build houses should instead have solar panels fitted on their roofs.

Watford Observer: Almost 2,000 people objected to the plans making it the most controversial application in the borough.Almost 2,000 people objected to the plans making it the most controversial application in the borough. (Image: Lynn Margolis Photography)

A separate application for a smaller facility on the same site has also been lodged, which the borough council has yet to make a decision.

Nearly 2,000 people filed objections to the solar farm when it was proposed in 2021, making it the most contentious application in Hertsmere Borough Council’s history.

In November of that year, councillors concluded that it constituted "inappropriate development within the Green Belt" and that it would not necessarily benefit Hertsmere residents as the site had been chosen for its proximity to the Hilfield National Grid substation.