Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Methven solar farm plan shrinks after local outcry

Kinnon Park solar farm developers also intend to move panels further away from landmarks like Methven Castle.

solar farm site with Methven castle in background
Methven Castle overlooks the proposed solar farm site. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson.

Plans for one of Scotland’s biggest solar farms at Methven have been scaled back after protests about the potential impact on people living nearby.

The Kinnon Park scheme could now be about 25% smaller than previously suggested.

The intention now is for 96,684 panels, rather than 134,000.

Developers say they will also site some of the solar panels further from landmarks such as Methven Castle and the Gloagburn farm shop.

It comes after critics hit out at the scale of the project – and the effect on the local landscape.

Map showing site solar farm will cover, compared to previous area.
The reduced size of the Methven solar farm is shown in blue.

The original proposal was for a 12-hectare site, covering 12 fields, on arable land between Methven and Tibbermore.

Revised plans were set out at a consultation event in Methven this week.

Methven solar farm developer responds to community

Planning agent Neil Gray said the firm had taken people’s comments on board and come up with the revised proposals.

“It’s reducing in size by about a quarter,” he said.

“It will also be less visible from the roads around Tibbermore. The community asked if it could be put back a bit. So that should make a difference to the views from Methven Castle.

“There’s no plan to take out any trees either, but they will be adding more.”

solar farm site with Methven castle in background
The solar farm is likely to be less visible from Methven Castle. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson

He said comments from the latest consultation would now be taken into account before a planning application is submitted to Perth and Kinross Council towards the end of 2023/start of 2024.

“An application this size will go to committee,” he added.

“So people will still be able to make representations throughout the planning process.”

Residents urged to have their say

Dozens of people attended the consultation event on Tuesday afternoon.

It was Namene Solar’s second session in the Perthshire town.

The developer’s representatives also attended a recent community council meeting.

Mr Gray said 2,500 leaflets had been distributed to homes and businesses in the area after locals complained the plans had come as a shock.

Community council member Sarah Fergusson urged everyone with an interest in the proposal to make their views known.

Sarah Fergusson
Sarah Fergusson. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson

“The developers appear to have taken on board what people have said previously,” she said.

“The plans have changed quite a bit. It’s looking smaller and it won’t have the same impact on views of Methven Castle.”

She said there was a lot of anxiety about the scheme when it was first unveiled and many people still had concerns.

“The plans can still change before the application goes to the council, so it’s important that people take part in the consultation,” she said.

Namene Solar says the Kinnon Park solar farm would have a life span of up to 40 years.

Electricity generated on the site could power up to 190,000 family homes.

Conversation