A renewable energy firm says it will listen to the concerns of villagers who are against a huge £5.5 million solar farm being built on their doorstep.

New Energy for the World GmbH is hoping to submit a full application for a 25-acre solar park in Westnewton, near Aspatria, within the next month.

Last week the German-based company held a public consultation in the village hall, giving residents the chance to see the plans and give their views.

If the plans for the 5MW site are given the green light by Allerdale council it would be the second such facility in the village. Planning permission for an 80-acre park at Pasture Farm was granted last November.

Some residents have raised concerns about the effects the new solar farm would have on flooding and the visual amenity of the village. 

However, the firm behind the plans says that the 32,256 solar panels they want to put on the farmland would generate enough electricity to power more than 1,000 homes.

Jimmy Offley, who works in project development for the German company, said that 18 people attended the consultation.

“A lot of people aren’t happy about it, but we understand people’s concerns about living in close proximity. I’m currently making arrangements to go and visit those people to discuss it,” he said.

There was also some positive feedback about the plans, added Mr Offley.

“We ask everyone if they would be happy to fill in feedback forms which are then submitted to the council as part of the application,” he said.

“From a project point of view we feel it’s a good location, there’s one property in close proximity and we need to speak to them.

“We met the Westnewton Action Group and had a nice conversation. We sat after the meeting and had a 45-minute to an hour chat to discuss the pros and cons.”

Mr Offley said they felt the site would be screened well by the existing hedgerow and fencing that would be installed during the construction process.

The proposed solar park is one of a number in the pipeline for Cumbria, with renewable energy firms submitting a raft of applications in recent months. If successful, it could see tens of millions of pounds spent in the county on their construction.

Alan Keighley, the co-ordinator of the Westnewton Action Group, attended the consultation.

He said: “On a personal level I’m not happy about it. From my point of view, it’s further industrialisation.

“We already have the wind turbines and the existing solar farm. There are also three more turbines in planning and another single turbine planned for the area. 

"Plus there’s a screening application for another solar farm. It’s urbanising the area; it’s supposed to be rural. The other thing is that it is creeping nearer and nearer to the area of outstanding natural beauty. Each application seems to get a bit nearer to that.”

Mr Keighley is also sceptical about how much the company will listen.

“They never do. They listen then ignore it. That’s the way these companies tend to work,” he added.

“Also this company is German which means that a lot of the profits will go abroad. Some in the village will be for it, some will be against it.”

A screening application for the park has already been submitted to Allerdale council by New Energy for the World GmbH.

The authority ruled that an environmental impact assessment is not needed.