13 idyllic photos show quaint Derbyshire village - under threat from developers for first time in generations

The quaint and idyllic countryside village of Lullington in southern Derbyshire sits in an area virtually untouched by development for generations.

Lullington has a population of 124 as of the 2021 census and that figure only increased by three people from the decade before.

Residents tell me, on a sun-scorched walk around the village, that there have only been around three new houses built in the past few decades and a couple have been redeveloped. They genuinely cannot think of any other changes to their corner of untouched England – but a solar farm plan could change all that.

Numerous red, white and blue banners and British flags are dotted around the village for the VE Day celebrations and there is a campaign board outside All Saints Church displaying an aim to raise £75,000 for spire repairs.

Lullington does give off a similar vibe to the fictional town of Sandford in the 2007 film Hot Fuzz. Although, admittedly, it’s not run by a shadowy cabal of village elders – to the best of my knowledge.

The village is resplendent with many lovingly manicured gardens, which have taken decades to cultivate and are now blooming in all their glory in the May sunshine.

Aside from the church and the village hall there is very little in the way of infrastructure in the village, with the Colville Arms pub and Forge Garage the only businesses.

However, villagers are now preparing to fend off the development of a large solar farm to the north of Lullington, on agricultural land used to grow potatoes for crisp manufacturer Walkers.

In a short, polite and matter-of-fact statement, one resident tells me: “We don’t want it, thanks.”

Stuart Hebb, 82, who has lived in the village all his life, continued: “We are quite happy without them, thank you very much.

“If we have to have either trees, solar farms or houses I know which one I would prefer. We need something that will grow in the countryside, not more houses.

“I am not happy about it. I thought it was all supposed to be done and dusted.”

In 2022, South Derbyshire District Council rejected plans from Lullington Solar Park Limited, via London-based firm Island Green Power, for a 173-acre solar farm between the village and Coton in the Elms.

That application was taken to appeal and turned down again by Government planning inspector Gareth Thomas in July 2023, with his decision hinging on the impact on valuable farming land used for food production.

The planned solar farm would have generated enough electricity to power 17,300 homes a year – around 17 per cent of the district.

Now the developer has come back with a new, tweaked application with an initial environmental impact assessment submitted ahead of a formal planning application.

There are no documents available yet publicly but the filed EIA assessment says the scheme would be capable of generating 44 megawatts – with 50 megawatts the limit for solar farms to be decided through local Government instead of directly through the Secretary of State.

The developer told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the scheme will now cover 114 acres (down from 173) and cover around an acre of higher quality Grade 2 agricultural land, instead of 26 acres – 70 per cent of the site would now be on lower quality land. It would be able to power 13,400 homes.

Villagers have had a parish meeting and the strength of feeling from the first application has been rekindled, residents tell me, with no support raised.

The previous application led to 211 letters of objection along with opposition from numerous parish councils, the local county councillor, the now former South Derbyshire MP and Derbyshire County Council itself.

A resident who did not want to be named said the returning plans showed “short-term” thinking in an area “rich in agricultural land and has been for generations”.

They also raised concerns about the cumulative impact of solar farm plans in South Derbyshire with numerous schemes now in various stages of potential development.

Leslie Gilbert, 85, has lived in Lullington for nearly 50 years, said: “Nobody wants it. Hopefully it won’t be approved.”

Jean Wilkes, 78, said: “In a nutshell, they shouldn’t be going on productive farmland. There are plenty of other places they should be put. We need as much food production land as we can right now with leaving the common market (the European Union) and the disruption around the world.

“We have had one or two new homes but they have been in keeping with the village feel. We are a really tight community and it would be a shame if that was lost. We have always been known as a farming village.”

Rachel Leedham, who has lived in the village for 25 years with husband Mark, said: “Surely they can build somewhere else, somewhere more remote. I can’t see it happening, it is going to be an eyesore.

“I know they need somewhere to go but that is all farmland, it shouldn’t be smack in the middle of the countryside and on the edge of our village.

“We are made of strong stuff though and we won’t give in.”