SOMERSET Council has rejected plans to build what would've been one of England's biggest solar farms in Somerset.

Mr S Murphy, on behalf of Elgin Energy, applied in March to create a 591,000 square metre solar farm in the village of Pedwell, found between Street and Bridgwater.

However, the plans have now been refused after months of campaigning from local group SOS Levels.

Somerset Council listed ten reasons as to why the plans were rejected, which included a lack of information to determine whether areas of lower grade agricultural land had been explored as alternative sites, a potential 'unacceptable impact on the highway network', and expected noise emissions which would impact on the surrounding 'tranquil area'.

Other reasons for refusal included risk of flooding, lack of drainage, and the presence of wildlife.

After the application was first submitted in March , local residents and farmers on the Somerset Levels soon joined forces to campaign against plans to build the Nythe Road Solar Park on nearby agricultural land.

Tim Cann, a leading member of the group made up of around 50 people, claimed none of the three parish councils affected by the proposal were consulted by developers Elgin Energy before a formal planning application was submitted.

The SOS Levels group said it would create a huge eyesore on the largely untouched landscape of the Somerset Levels, with several footpaths already looking down on the land.

“It’s highly visible. You can’t screen it," Tim said.

“None of us object to solar energy.

"It should be built in another place, like nearer to a motorway.”

Tim, who lives on Pedwell Hill in the village, said it's not the first time that Elgin Energy has tried to construct a solar farm on 'good' farmland.

"The applicant tries to claim that its not good farmland - they did the same thing at Washford, the same applicant made an application in Washford," he said.

"In Somerset when it's hot and dry in the summer, it's only on the levels that the grass grows, which the farmers like to use for summer grazing.

"A lot of it is grade two or grade three, and government policy goes against using it for solar farms."

In response to the news of the plans being refused, the SOS Levels group is preparing for an expected appeal from Elgin Energy.