Blyth and Bedlington solar project to be built on 150-hectare farmland

A solar energy project is set to be built on more than 150 hectares (0.6 sq mile) of Northumberland farmland.

Solar farms will be assembled on two sites in Blyth and Bedlington and will be in place for 40 years, before the land is restored to agricultural use.

Northumberland County Council approved the scheme on Tuesday.

Each farm could generate almost 49.9MW of electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 12,000 tonnes per year, its developer said.

The Blyth site will be built on former coal seam land north east of Low Horton Farm, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The Bedlington site lies on land East of Burnt House Farm on Netherton Road, which was once a former open-cast coal mine.

Bluefield Renewable Energy Developments managing director, Jonathan Selwyn, told councillors: "Solar needs to go on both buildings and on land.

"Sheep will be grazed on the land to keep it agricultural.

"There are sometimes concern about food security, but climate change is a bigger risk."

Councillor Richard Dodd, who recently had solar panels for his own farm approved by the same committee, said: "It has reduced my electricity bill by two-thirds.

"That's now - what is it going to be in the summer. It is the future, it is the way forward."

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, external, Facebook, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to [email protected], external.