He described Heath Common as “the jewel in the crown of Wakefield”.
It was a well-known spot for people to relax and “escape for a day out”, which was of “particular importance given the deprivation in the vicinity”, he added.
Trickett disagreed with Harmony’s claims that the site should be redefined as “grey belt”, a concept aimed at freeing up some greenbelt areas for development, saying this would be in breach of planning guidance.
“There are no local people or organisations at all in favour of this development, except those that have a commercial interest,” he added.
Stephanie Hall, representing Harmony, previously noted Wakefield Council had declared a climate emergency in 2019 but had failed to allocate any sites for renewable energy in its Local Plan, which outlines plans for future developments.
She said the company’s appeal was “strongly supported by government policy” and would help deliver “meaningfully on climate and biodiversity agendas”.
The heritage impacts of the development were “reversible and temporary”, she said, and other parties had “overstated the importance of what is now a modern agricultural field”.
The hearing continues.