PLANS to put solar panels on Burgh Island have been approved by district councillors in the face of strong opposition from locals.

Members of South Hams Council's development management committee voted last week by six votes to four to approve the scheme, which will see 200 solar panels installed on a disused tennis court next to the Burgh Island Hotel.

The panels will cover 335 square metres, and the hotel's owners, Tony Orchard and Deborah Clark, said the 50kW array will provide 10 per cent of their electricity requirements.

The low-lying panels will be a maximum of 29cm high and are made from dark grey, non-reflective glass. The idea is to screen the array with a bank and hedge, although local objectors doubt that this will be totally effective.

Former owner Tony Porter, who refurbished the hotel in the 1980s, has previously spoken out against the proposal. He said the panels would be a 'scar' on the island landscape.

Bigbury Parish Council also objected to the proposals, with chair Dr Stuart Watts saying it was 'disappointed' at the outcome.

'The planning officer submitted a comprehensive report that rebutted all the objections, but many of

the judgements about ­visual impact are ­subjective,' he said. 'The parish council is very disappointed by the ruling and somewhat surprised that the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty unit did not object, which might have swung the vote.

'Apparently the unit thought the size of the installation was insignificant. We would argue that in the context of a small island, which is a major tourist attraction, 200 solar panels are a very significant change in the landscape character and will create a large visual impact because of their location.

'The ruling ignores the very considerable number of local and regional objections, many of which were expressed in a public meeting held to discuss the development.'

Dr Watts added that, in his view, the planning appeal system favours developers over councils, which have little money to spare.

He said: 'There is a separate issue here that relates to the advantage conferred on developers with deep pockets by the planning appeal system.

'In its present cash-strapped state, South Hams Council – the local planning authority – is unwilling to use the appeal process to contest any decision in case it loses and is made liable for costs. This situation perverts the planning process.'

The hotel's owners said: 'We're pleased by the decision of South Hams council to grant us planning consent for our solar array.

'This is a rational decision, which we always thought would be made, correctly, on the grounds of public policy, political guidance, best practice and most importantly the desirability of ­sustainable energy for our country.

'Devon and the Westcountry is at the forefront of the sustainable energy drive and will be its standard-bearer into the next decade. There are more homes and businesses using solar energy in the South West than in London.

'In common with the National Trust and English Heritage, we feel strongly that sustainable energy is best practice wherever it can be employed, even in the context of listed buildings. In this, we're following a modern and progressive path that would have been recognised by the original pioneers of Burgh Island in the 1920s and '30s.

'Burgh Island was one of the founder members of the Green Tourism Business Scheme, taking a bronze award at its inception in 2003 and holding gold since 2010.

'The solar array is an important part of our commitment to environmental issues.

'This small solar array on what was a disused tennis court will support up to 10 per cent of the energy costs of the Burgh Island Hotel going into the future. It will use modern, non-reflective and highly efficient panels recommended for us by award-­winning – and Devon-based – firm SunGift Solar, which stands out in this market for its cutting-edge knowledge of, and integrity to, solar energy.

'The landscaping has been designed by Mike Westley, one of the most respected landscape architects in the region.'