A major solar energy project covering more than 3,100 acres of countryside in East Yorkshire has been granted development consent by the government.
The proposed solar farm, spanning land near Gribthorpe, Spaldington, Wressle and Howden, will generate 400 megawatts of electricity.
The application was processed by the Planning Inspectorate as a nationally significant infrastructure project due to its scale.
In an official letter confirming the decision, the Secretary of State for Net Zero, Ed Miliband, stated: "The public benefits associated with the proposed development outweigh the harm identified, and that development consent should therefore be granted."
Electricity generated by the site will be connected to the National Grid via the Drax substation in North Yorkshire.
Developer Boom Energy has pledged to deliver biodiversity enhancements as part of the project, including the planting of new trees and hedgerows, as well as the creation of dedicated wildlife habitats.
Despite the project’s environmental ambitions it has faced strong opposition from local campaigners, with food security being a key concern.
George McManus, spokesperson for the East Riding Against Solar Expansion (ERASE), voiced his serious concerns to the BBC.
"This brings us a step closer to enormous swathes of agricultural land being blanketed in a million, Chinese manufactured, solar panels," he told the broadcaster.
Further developments could lead to "another 20,000 acres disappear under glass," he warned.
"The East Riding is being industrialised and people need to wake up to that."
