The Proposed Site

Mission Focus

A proposal is on the table to build a 20–22 megawatt industrial solar installation across 130 acres of farmland between Walton and Vernolds Common, near Onibury and Craven Arms, in South Shropshire.

This isn't a small, local solar scheme. It's an industrial-scale energy development, proposed for some of Shropshire's most nature-rich, productive countryside.

Land that has been farmed with the environment in mind for decades, and is home to breeding skylarks, a generations-old barn owl roost, and a wide variety of plant and animal life.

We're not against renewable energy. We believe it has a vital role to play in Britain's future. But we believe it belongs on rooftops, brownfield sites, and land that isn't already doing so much — feeding people, sheltering wildlife, and shaping the landscape we all love. This is the wrong site for a development of this scale.

The Facts:

Location: Land north of Walton, between Walton and Vernolds Common, Onibury, near Craven Arms, South Shropshire
Size: Approximately 130 acres
Capacity: 20–22 megawatts
Applicant: Dan Chalk
Planning agent: Gravis Planning
Local planning authority:
Shropshire Council
Screening reference: 26/00239/SCR
Anticipated full application:
November 2026

What's Already Here

This land isn't an empty or marginal site waiting to be developed. It's a living, working landscape:

An active barn owl nestbox, installed in 2005, which has produced 14 owlets, alongside a mature oak tree barn owls have used to breed and roost for generations. Barn owls are a Schedule 1 protected species, and Shropshire's breeding population has fallen by nearly 50% since 1932.
Eight confirmed skylark breeding territories, identified in a June 2026 survey using British Trust for Ornithology methodology. Skylarks are a Red List species and a recognised indicator of healthy farmland.
A 2019 ecological survey recorded 168 plant species and 96 animal species on this land in a single day, including nationally scarce beetles and a rare Twayblade orchid.
Decades of farming carried out with nature in mind, on land that remains genuinely productive today.

Why Location Matters

There is already a solar farm within 3km of this proposed site, Bromfield Sand and Gravel Co Ltd, Planning Ref 15/00284/FUL. Shropshire Council's own planning officers have identified this as a cumulative impact that needs to be properly considered.

Shropshire Council has also ruled that this proposal does not require a full Environmental Impact Assessment. We believe that decision should be revisited in light of the evidence already gathered about this site's ecological and agricultural value.

What happens next...

A drop-in consultation was held in June 2026, with a further session planned for August. A formal ILOS consultation will take place in September, ahead of an expected full planning application in November 2026.

We'll be tracking every stage of this process here, and we need your help to make sure the right voices are heard before any decision is made.