SENIOR Heritage Consultant Duncan Coe doesn’t believe the proposed solar farm at Wroughton Airfield would have a significant impact on the views from Barbury Castle.

Mr Coe, who works for Cotswold Archaeology, spoke yesterday at a planning inquiry, taking place at the Civic Offices, investigating the suitability of the scheme, which would use more than 100,000 panels to produce enough power for 12,000 homes a year.

The project, a joint plan from Swindon Commercial Services and the Science Museum, was approved by Swindon Council last December, but the Planning Inspectorate called the public hearing after concerns were raised about what affect the solar farm would have on North Wessex Downs and its attractions.

Mr Coe explained that it is expected for a landscape to evolve over time.

“It is not an Iron Age landscape that you now look out upon, it is an agricultural one which would have changed in the last 60 years, let alone 2,000, so the surrounding land’s heritage value is a moot point. I cannot see how the heritage of the site will be diminished by these proposals.”

If the solar farm project goes forward the site would operate for 30 years, the inquiry was told.

James Owen, commercial director at SCS, said the applicants were overwhelmed by the community support for the project.

He said: “From day one, to the current day, we have put public engagement as a major part of our strategy.

“We asked what people would like to see instead of telling them what was going on and then we acted on the suggestions,” he said.

“If the solar farm wasn’t wanted, we’d have walked away, as there is no point arguing when nobody wants you.”

Originally, the planning inquiry was expected to last six days, finishing on Thursday, September 18, but planning inspector, John Braith-waite, anticipates that the hearing will now conclude on Friday, September 19.

He said: “I’m conscious that during a long inquiry we might come to a stage where we’d be squeezing evidence in towards the end and I don’t want to do that.

“It remains to be seen whether we catch up in the meantime.”

After the inquiry, Mr Braithwaite will consider all the evidence and make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, who will make the final decision.

The proceedings will continue at 9.30am tomorrow.