The project is funded by the City of London as part of a £40 million deal with Voltalia, the energy provider. Permission for the project was given by Dorset Council

But the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has opposed the plans, which are already under way.

‘Land should be used to provide food for Dorset, not electricity for London’

Rupert Hardy, chairman of CPRE Dorset, said: “We opposed the plans because of the impact on countryside and the farmland in the area.

“That land should be used to provide food for Dorset, not electricity for London.

“We would far prefer energy produced in our county to be used here, especially when it is desecrating our beautiful landscape.

“The solar farm is within sight of the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

Opposition to the deal comes after the Blackmore Vale area of Dorset – beloved by Thomas Hardy, the novelist – was earmarked for a 400-acre solar power development earlier in 2021, provoking fury among local environmental campaigners.

The most recent deal, struck between the City of London and Voltalia, is thought to be the first solar energy contract of its kind in the UK.

It has been projected that the deal will save the local authority in London £3 million of energy costs annually, as well as provide more than half of its electricity for three decades.

‘Unavoidable’ that renewable energy facilities will be built in the countryside

Simon Holt, Voltalia’s manager in the UK, said: “All of the energy produced at the plant will go to the City of London as a customer through their existing utility provider.

“Because it relies on sunlight, there may be periods of low output and the utility company agrees to make up the shortfall.”

Mr Holt said it was “unavoidable” that renewable energy facilities would be built in the countryside, but would be sympathetic to the nearby area of outstanding natural beauty.

He added: “Cop22 has made it absolutely clear that we must act on climate change – unless we take action things are going to get really bad.

“This is part of that action – we are trying to lower the country’s reliance on fossil fuels to produce the energy needed. This will have a big impact on the future.”

Andrew Kerby, local councillor for Spetisbury, has defended the new development, saying: “The countryside and landscape are far from natural and static, no matter what the city folk think.

“The reality is that farming and the way we farm has changed. Farmers once harvested light to grow grain, now they harvest light to make electricity.

“For me, it’s a win-win. Solar provides an opportunity to provide a carbon free, renewable energy source that will go some way to ensuring that global warming is reduced and give our environment a chance to survive.”

Most construction will take place from February 2022. The farm is expected to start producing energy by the middle of next year.