A council has refused plans for a sprawling and “very controversial” solar farm amid concerns over its visual impact.

Ashford Borough Council (ABC) has thrown out French energy firm EDF Renewables' proposals for a site spanning the size of 190 football pitches close to Sellindge and Aldington.

Dubbed the “East Stour Solar Farm”, the proposed project would have generated enough power for the equivalent of 16,900 homes.

But planning chiefs have now rejected the 256-acre scheme on several keystone points.

It comes as London-based Evolution Power hopes its separate plans for a larger solar farm on land around Aldington are approved.

Were EDF’s smaller scheme to go ahead, building the site on arable farmland between Aldington, Smeeth and Sellindge “would result in significant adverse individual and cumulative effects on landscape character,” planning bosses said.

They highlighted the negative impact the farm would have had “on visual amenity that cannot be appropriately mitigated”.

The officials also argued EDF’s planning papers were scant in detailing the site’s archaeological impact, including extra stress caused by construction trucks.

They also cite “insufficient” information on mitigating the impact on badgers and a mineral deposit on the site.

“The need for renewable or low carbon energy does not automatically override environmental protections,” the officers stress in a recent rejection notice.

EDF argued its array would hold a 49.9 Megawatts (MW) capacity, whereas any farm over 50MW requires government approval as a nationally significant infrastructure project.

“The proposed operational lifetime of the project is 40 years,” their planning papers said.

Arguing its case, EDF emphasised ABC - which is run by an Ashford Independents/Green Party coalition - is committed to reaching net zero by 2030.

“Hosting the East Stour Solar Farm would lead to a significant carbon dioxide emission reduction, helping to meet the national need,” the firm said in its April 2022 bid.

Linda Arthur of the Mersham-based Village Alliance campaign group praised the refusal, saying “it was a very controversial project” locally.

She added: “Obviously solar energy is something that the government is supporting, but it has to be in the right location.

“Open farmland with views on a country lane is not really an ideal location, so perhaps the council is right in thinking it should refuse it.”

Elsewhere in the area, plans for the Stonestreet Green solar farm have been in the works for several years.

The installation around Aldington could cover land the size of 250 football pitches, and will have a capacity of up to 99.9 MW - enough to power about 42,000 homes.

A spokesman for Evolution Power, the firm behind the plan, confirmed that a full Development Consent Order (DCO) is set to go into the government’s Planning Inspectorate in the next few weeks.

As it has a capacity of over 50MW - a DCO from the government is needed to give permission for it to be built.

Mrs Arthur argues, along with local campaign Aldington and Mersham Support Group (AMSG) that the plans should be delayed until villagers are in the clear about how it will affect them.

Under the current plans it “really does completely surround Aldington,” she says.

“It’s going to have far-reaching impact on the views but also the village of Aldington particularly.

“I think rightly people are concerned about the impact of it and also the impact on the countryside footpaths.

“It’ll change the whole aspect of Aldington, which is basically a rural agricultural village.”

Last month, ABC also rejected plans for a solar farm on land at Old Wives Lees between Canterbury and Ashford.