Plans for a 304 acre solar farm on land spanning across Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen have been thrown into doubt following local anger, leading to a petition against the move which campaigners say will have a negative visual impact on the landscape and will take away useable agricultural land from food production.

The First Minister, Eluned Morgan, responded to concerns about the plans this week.

Senedd ministers will have to give the Pegasus Group the go ahead for the project, and when asked by Laura Anne Jones MS to visit the site to hear local residents’ concerns, the First Minster said that if the proposed site was on prime agricultural land, campaigners would have good grounds for appeal against any decision in favour of the project.

Ms Jones, who opposes the plans for the solar farm, said the plans risked future food security and said residents were, “angry, worried and frustrated” about the project and lack of consultation.

The map appears to show that some of the land included in the proposal is graded as the “best and most versatile” agricultural land.

According to the Welsh Government, only “10 to 15 percent of the land in Wales” is graded this highly.

“Planning applications and local development plans should include survey evidence when they cover grade 1, 2 or 3a land.”

This would also appear to mean that a decision in favour of the project could be appealed.

Laura Anne Jones MS, Senedd Member for South Wales East, said: “It’s clear from the Welsh Government’s maps that much of the land earmarked for the solar farm around the Ponthir is usable agricultural land.”

“It’s been horrible for residents to have to have this proposal dropped on them, but now it seems there is hope that the story isn’t over and perhaps can be stopped.”