PLANS to build Barnsley’s biggest ever solar farm were rejected today after councillors took the rare decision to go against recommendations from planning officers - but the firm behind the scheme have already submitted an appeal notification.

The sprawling site, put forward by clean energy firm Enviromena, is roughly the size of 130 football pitches.

According to its designers, the first parcel lies north of Ferry Moor Lane, the second is to the west of Engine Lane and the third - which is the largest - is to the east of Engine Lane.

The massive development would have seen solar panels installed across three parcels of land to the east and west of Engine Lane for the next 40 years, with construction expected to take around a year.

The scheme, which first surfaced in 2023 before a formal planning application was logged in January last year, has divided the local community.

Enviromena bosses claim the site will generate enough clean electricity to power up to 25,000 homes a year - amounting to nearly a quarter of all households in the Barnsley borough.

However, the scale of the project has drawn fierce criticism from campaigners desperate to protect the local landscape.

The council’s planning officers had recommended the application for approval but, in a rarely-seen act, the majority councillors on the board decided to go against the recommendation and instead voted the plans down.

Each of the Reform councillors on the board voted against the plans, as did Labour councillor Joe Hayward.

An appeal notification was lodged immediately by Enviromena.

A full detailed report will be in this Friday’s paper.