A NEW solar farm that will power thousands of homes in Hampshire has been applauded by a Winchester environment group.

Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (WinACC) has praised Winchester City Council’s approval of a new solar farm in Bishop’s Waltham.

This comes after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) unveiled its report on the state of the climate on Monday, March 20. 

The report explains the extent to which current and future generations will experience a hotter and less hospitable world depending on actions within the next 10 years. 

READ MORE: Winchester planning: Bishop's Waltham solar farm plans approved

The UN general secretary, António Guterres, said that countries must do "everything, everywhere, all at once".

WinACC believes that bold steps, such as the solar farm which will provide energy to 5,500 homes, are the way forward to achieve "rapid decarbonisation".

During the planning committee meeting, on March 15, WinACC said: "We have to observe that this single smallish solar farm will generate more electricity in any given period than all the rooftop solar that has been installed in our district in the two decades since the technology came to market. The maths tells us we have no choice.”

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The planning committee chair, Terese Evans, said: “If a declaration of emergency is going to mean anything, we have to take tough decisions.”

WinACC chair, Dr Alex Clayton, who has studied the retreat of glaciers as a geographer, said: “We are pleased to see that the council is acting on its promise to deliver real change in light of its declaration of a climate emergency.

"We have a duty to ensure that we do all we can for future generations so they do not suffer the consequences of our inaction. Rapid decarbonisation is necessary and we hope the support shown for this solar farm will bolster support for other projects.”