Anglian Water's plans to install a large-scale solar panel array on more than 20 acres of land at Rutland Water are back in the spotlight.

Yesterday (Fri), Rutland County Council instructed the company that it must carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as planning officers are concerned the development could have a significant effect on the environment.

Anglian Water had applied to the council for a screening opinion - a request made prior to submitting a planning application - with the company saying it did not consider an EIA was necessary.

But Rutland County Council disagreed.

A council report states: "The council has...concluded that the proposed development is likely to have significant effects on the environment and its screening opinion is that an Environmental Statement is required in this instance."

Anglian Water wants to install solar panels on land it owns below the dam at Skyes Lane to provide clean green power to its Empingham Pumping Station in Normanton Park Road.

The Empingham works help supply water to hundreds of thousands of the company's customers across the region and require a lot of energy - around 29.4GWh every year.

Anglian Water says the solar installation would generate enough renewable energy to meet more than a third of the work's power requirement over the course of the year - enough to power almost 3,000 homes.

The solar panel array plan forms part of the company's renewable energy strategy and its ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Both Empingham and neighbouring Edith Weston parish councils object to the scheme.

In a document to Rutland County Council Empingham Parish Council (EPC) says: "At the public presentation in Empingham [April 2019] Anglian Water gave the impression to visitors that it recognised the need for transparency and...would apply to RCC for full planning permission.

"EPC was therefore surprised and disappointed that Anglian Water decided that it did not have confidence in the proposed development to do so.

"The proposed development is simply a commercial scheme to increase profit/decrease costs. It is not critical to the function of Anglian Water as a water supply utility."

The parish council also raises concerns about the impact not only on Rutland Water - a Ramsar site, a Special Protection Area, a site of special scientific interest and a local wildlife site - but also for residents and visitors.

"The proposed development would have wider effects than simply to the Rutland Water area.

"Whilst recognising the proposed development includes mitigation planting, it would also deprive Rutland residents and visitors of the enjoyment of leisure activities including appreciating the perimeter landscape of the reservoir area and physical recreation eg walking and, in winter, sledging on the slopes where solar panels would be located within a fenced boundary."

A document from Edith Weston Parish Council states the proposed development 'will have a significant adverse landscape and visual impact on this very sensitive area and there is very little opportunity for mitigation in the form of screening'.

"It will have a detrimental effect on tourism at Rutland Water which attracts many, many visitors," it adds.