Thurrock Council refused tonight to give the green light to a large solar farm in Stanford-le-Hope.

Councillors voted to defer their decision until they could see more reports on the possible wildlife impact at the former Coryton Refinery site.

Origin Power Services Ltd. had put in the application to build a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array farm on Petroplus, at the Manorway, Stanford-le-Hope.

The proposed solar farm would be 50 rows of panels over 8.8 hectares - and create enough electricity for 2,150 homes to export to the national grid.

Thurrock Council Development Manager Matthew Gallagher said largely, the council were in favour of approving the project.

Along with the fact a solar farm would have little visual impact on the landscape at this unused site, he added there were no other risks.

But councillors raised concerns about birds crashing into the panels and also about breeding birds sites and great-crested newts, along with other invertebrates.

Councillors argued it was important to keep the area as one of the few remaining truly 'wild' areas.

Councillor Wheeler said: "The area is true wilderness, one of the only left in Thurrock left it. He's seen marsh owls, egrets, many birds like it.

"Thurrock is under pressure, but areas like this are becoming rarer. It would be nice to leave the area as a wild place."

Councillor Brian Little said he had mixed feelings: "There are other bits of land that would be much more useful than this land," he said, "Yet they wouldn't object to petrol tanks on them either."

Mr Little added: "This project would generate electricity for 2,000 homes and this would address the issues around global warming and flooding."

The councillors voted five in favour of deferring the decision, and two against.