Several local people have been in touch with me regarding the planning application that has been recently submitted for a 79-acre solar development near Poulshot.

I am aware that the roll-out of solar energy is resulting in these very large developments and I am concerned that the guidance for planners is not clear.

I have discussed the problem with the Minister responsible, Greg Barker, and was reassured to hear that the government has already strengthened the planning guidance to provide a stronger voice to communities affected by projects and to make it clear to planners that landscape, rural beauty and local concerns are all to be considered in any application.

In addition, Mr Barker has written to every local planning officer in the country, reminding them of their responsibilities to communities and the environment. The planning guidance on renewables issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government says that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections, nor the planning concerns of local communities.

It underlines that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planing concerns of local communities and that care should be taken to preserve heritage assets, including the impact of planning proposals on views important to their setting.

In October the government published a solar PV roadmap, which laid out the priority issues for solar PV, including on land use. The road map can be found at www.gov.uk/ government/publications/uk-solar-pv-strategy-part-1-roadmap-to-a-brighter -future.

I should like to draw your attention to the third guiding principle which is that support for solar PV should ensure proposals are appropriately sited, give proper weight to environmental considerations such as landscape and visual impact, heritage and local amenity, and provide opportunities for local communities to influence decisions that affect them.

There are some developments that do work, especially when farms are well-sited and screened, and agricultural productivity is still maintained, for example by grazing sheep under and between the panels. There are also examples, I am told, of the farms becoming islands of biodiversity and responsible solar developers are actively seeking partnerships with environmental NGOs.

However, the key issue is that large-scale developments have to “take the community with them” and I am in regular communication with Wiltshire Council on this development to see where it has reached in the application process.

I know that a decision is due on the Poulshot solar PV application by mid January 2014 and whilst I am aware that a number of public meetings have already been held, I think that a meeting with the council, developers and local people could be really helpful, as we did on the quarrying proposal in Bromham a few years ago. I would be very happy to facilitate this meeting and I am touch with Poulshot Parish Council regarding this. I am continuing to follow developments closely.

I do hope this provides at least some reassurances to my constituents but do keep me updated on local developments you may come across by emailing me at claire.perry.mp@parliament.uk.

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency.