A COMMUNITY is celebrating this week after an inspector threw out a planning appeal to build a 17-acre solar panel farm in their hamlet.

The proposal to install the panels along with transformer cabins, sub-station buildings and CCTV at Pixford Fruit Farm, in Ash Priors, had already been refused by Taunton Deane Borough Council.

And the planning inspectorate backed that decision on Tuesday by ruling against an appeal by Blackstock Farms.

He agreed that the development would bring "considerable benefits in terms of the generation of renewable energy and would assist in agricultural diversification".

But he added: "The benefits of the scheme would be outweighed by the significant adverse impact that would result in landscape terms.

"These impacts are not acceptable and on the basis of the evidence before me cannot be made acceptable."

Vicky Shaw, who lives locally and opposed the scheme, said: "We should like to thank everyone who gave their support to Ash Priors Action group in helping us to achieve this outcome."