A Norfolk council has agreed that a huge, rural solar farm can remain in place for decades longer than locals expected.

The renewable energy site at a Second World War airfield in Oulton, near Aylsham, may not be dismantled until at least 2065 under an amendment to plans agreed by Broadland Council. 

The temporary solar farm was initially given the green light in 2015 and was set to run for 25 years. 

However, a second phase has already been granted approval for development and is set to be energised next year, from which point another 40-year countdown will now begin. This means the solar farm could be around until 2065, despite backlash from locals.

Alison Shaw, a member of Oulton Parish Council, said: "We have already ticked the box of making a contribution to net zero in this village many times over.

"This is a very poor trade-off for a small amount of renewable energy - the output would be far greater if the sun shone more strongly than it does here.

"The most efficient place for the mass installation of solar panels is in the middle of the Sahara Desert."

The solar farm at Oulton airfieldThe solar farm at Oulton airfield (Image: Google Maps)

The site at RAF Oulton, which was built during the Second World War and was used to house heavy bombers, spans 46 acres of agricultural land.

Broadland Council's planning committee voted to allow its timescale to be extended at a meeting on Wednesday August 14. 

Jo Copplestone, a Conservative member, said: "I'm very pleased that this project can go on for longer and we can get the best use possible out of the panels."