A TRADITIONAL energy supply has been listed as one of the reasons why an application for a solar farm in Queensbury was rejected.

Old coal mines and a failure to carry out a Coal Mining Risk Assessment led to Bradford Council turning down the plans to install almost 900 solar panels on green belt land off Roper Lane.

The application was submitted by Parkinson Spencer Refractories, which supplies products for the glass industry.

It had planned to create the solar farm on land north of its base in Holmfield, Halifax.

But in a document detailing why planning permission was refused, the Council said: "The site is in a 'high risk area' in which records indicate that there are coal mining features and hazards, including probably shallow coal workings.

"The application fails to provide a Coal Mining Risk Assessment report which demonstrates that the site can safely accommodate the proposed development. In the absence of this report the proposal is considered to be contrary to paragraphs 120-121 of the National Planning Policy Framework."

The Coal Authority objected to the plans because of an absence of the Coal Mining Risk Assessment report.

The Council also gave two further reasons for turning down the application.

In the refusal document, the authority said: "The proposed development lies within an area defined as green belt on the Replacement Unitary Development Plan wherein there is a strong presumption against inappropriate development.

"The proposed development would constitute inappropriate development in the green belt and in the absence of any very special circumstances, which may warrant the proposal being treated as an exception, the proposed development is, by definition, harmful to the green belt."

It also stated: "The application provides insufficient information to enable its proper consideration by the Local Planning Authority. In particular, the application fails to provide a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment and details of why the proposed development cannot be accommodated on the roof of the factory."

The planning officer's report did say that the development was "unlikely to cause any significant harm" to neighbouring housing, and that there would be minimal glare from the solar panels.

The Telegraph & Argus contacted Parkinson Spencer Refractories and the agents acting on the company's behalf, Ryland Design Services Ltd, but no-one was available to comment.