Fears of a solar farm free-for-all as Reeves blocks locals’ right to object under sweeping Labour planning reforms

Residents will be prevented from objecting to huge solar farms near their homes under Labour’s sweeping planning reforms.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to accelerate massive clean energy projects using new powers that defy public scrutiny.

As angry rural residents warn of a ‘public solar farm’, Parliament can approve the controversial plans, deeming them of ‘critical national importance’.

According to the Undersecretariat of Treasury, judicial reviews (legal proceedings to examine the decision-making process) will no longer be allowed, except on ‘human rights grounds’.

The government said the move was an important part of wider measures aimed at improving Britain’s energy security and softening the economic impact of the Iran war.

In recent weeks, a government inspector authorized the installation of 110,640 solar panels at 14 sites in Burnhope, County Durham, declaring the rollout plan necessary to ‘achieve net zero targets’.

The solar farm will be a breeding ground for sandpipers, one of the UK’s most endangered birds, and border a popular nature reserve.

Ian Galloway, of Burnhope’s ‘Keep It Green’ campaign group, raided the private pension fund to fund legal costs following a four-year battle in the High Court.

Residents will be prevented from objecting to huge solar farms near their homes under Labour’s sweeping planning reforms (File photo of a solar farm in Somerset)

He said: ‘I am 67 years old and I have never seen a government behave like this before. The majority of people in the village oppose this plan. Our only hope now is to try to delay this as long as possible until the next general election.’

Durham council’s ruling party, Reform UK, does not want to spend ‘hundreds of thousands of pounds’ on further legal battles.

Planning councilor Joe Quinn said: ‘The government will make it almost impossible to hold a judicial review.

‘Everyone we talk to – planners, civil servants and even a KC – says the same thing: ‘Your chances of winning are so slim you might as well throw the money away, unfortunately.’

Energy company Lightsource said it was ‘engaging with the local community’ and taking measures to ‘improve’ the environment.

Under Ms Reeves’ plans, low-carbon energy schemes and infrastructure projects, including solar and wind farms, will be accelerated to achieve the target of a nearly zero-carbon energy system by 2030.

Last night the Campaign to Protect England’s Rural Areas called on the Government to focus on using brownfield sites for solar farms instead.