Solar farm near Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield approved

A solar farm will be built close to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park after councillors approved the project.

Panels will be installed across 55 hectares of countryside, including some around 500m from the outdoor tourist attraction near West Bretton, Wakefield.

More than 170 people objected to the proposal, with many citing the potential impact on the appearance of the area.

But Wakefield Council’s planning and highways committee voted in favour of the application, submitted by Boom Power, by a majority of six to one.

Under the plans, the solar panels would be split across two sites.

One is close to a conservation area near the village of Woolley, while the other is off Haigh Lane, which is close to the M1 motorway and the sculpture park.

Other concerns included the potential loss of wildlife habitats, loss of agricultural land and a flood risk being created, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Ian White, of Woolley Parish Council, said the proposals would have a “significant impact” on residents.

He said: “This is one of the last scenic and undeveloped areas in the Wakefield district.

“It’s home to Yorkshire Sculpture Park , one of Wakefield’s outstanding cultural and recreational tourist attractions of national repute.

“This is the first step in the destruction of one of Wakefield’s most attractive areas.”

But Boom Power said the project would produce enough renewable energy to power 11,700 family homes a year.

Jack Spurway, representing the applicant, said: “Impacts both positive and negative have been taken into consideration.

“The positives of the scheme have been shown to outweigh the negatives.

“The way we generate our electricity in this country is changing. The use of fossil fuels is being phased out.”

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park opened in 1977 at a 500-acre plot surrounding Bretton Hall, which was a teacher training college at the time before closing in the 2000s.

Last year it was revealed the world-famous Groucho Club – a private members’ club famed for hosting A-list celebrities – would move into the vacant property in 2026. It will be its first premises outside London.