A 35-ACRE solar farm near Llanmartin has been refused planning permission due to the agricultural land that would be lost to the development.

Newport City Council planning committee today agreed that the development should not go ahead citing the loss of "good agricultural land" and the lack of an "overriding need" for the development.

The application, lodged by Roger Lewis, of Court Farm, Magor Road, was for a solar farm which could generate about 8,100 megawatts of electricity per year, enough to power 1,650 homes a year. It would have run for 25 years before it was decommissioned.

Both Langstone and Bishton community councils objected to the plans with Langstone chairman Edward Jeffery telling committee members at today's meeting that the "community is not set against the production of green energy" but there would be more suitable locations for solar panels including on the roofs of schools and buildings.

Councillor David Atwell, who represents Langstone, also spoke at the meeting to address his concerns that the land would be ruined by the installation of solar panels.

He said: "That site is going to be in a mess, it's going to be churned up as far as I'm concerned."

Newport City Council received 87 objections to the application including complaints that the consultation process was flawed, that countryside views will be ruined and that wildlife will be destroyed.

Councillor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi was the only councillor who voted against the planning officer's recommendations as he said he was surprised of the reasons for refusal given by officers.

He said: "I can't see a very good reason that I would be supporting the officers recommendation for refusal. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we shouldn't preserve the countryside, I do want that, but we've got to balance these things."