Plans to build a large solar farm capable of powering 14,000 Gloucestershire homes have been thrown out.

Elgin Energy EsCo Ltd sought permission from Forest of Dean District Council to install the solar facility on 173 acres of land south of Murrells End in Hartpury.

The park promised an export capacity of up to 49.9 megawatts as a boost towards the UK's net zero target. Modelled output forecasts showed sufficient output to supply 14,000 average family homes, the application stated.

Consultants working on the scheme claimed the CO2 displacement of the annual electricity production of the generating station is around 29,940 tonnes compared to the same annual electricity usage from traditional fossil fuel sources.

However, following objection by Hartpury and Rudford and Highleadon parish councils, Forest of Dean planners followed advice of council officers and threw the scheme out.

Their objection was based on the grounds that the park would sacrifice prime agricultural land. Furthermore, it was claimed insufficient evidence was given to ensure protected wildlife and potential archaeological remains would not be affected.

Calling for the bid to go ahead, planning agent Richard Boother said the need to tackle climate change outweighed any limited harm, with any loss of prime agricultural land being temporary.

He said: "The benefits of the scheme in terms of meeting net zero carbon target and reducing greenhouse gas emissions should carry more weight."

But councillor Robert Wolfson, of Rudford and Highleadon Parish Council, told the development management committee that while the council was not opposed to solar farms in principle, Elgin Energy's bid did not meet national or local criteria.

And Hartpury Parish Councillor Mark Clarke said the arable land in question was of "paramount importance" while access via a single track road was a potential traffic hazard.

Mr Boother's request for the committee to consider deferral for ecology and archeological concerns to be addressed was not granted, while the district council has written to the Department for Levelling Up to communicate its decision.