Thousands of people have complained to the Planning Inspectorate about proposals to build one of the UK's biggest solar farms.
Island Green Power want to build a 500-megawatt solar farm, which will produce enough electricity to power 115,000 homes annually, between Malmesbury and the M4 in Wiltshire.
Wiltshire Council rejected plans for the Lime Down Solar Park, but developers have since appealed, and a planning inspector has now held an initial public meeting in Chippenham ahead of a decision due in October.
Will Threlfall, senior project development manager for Lime Down Solar Park, said he was "grateful" for people sharing their views and said the project was a "well-designed scheme".
More than 100 people attended a protest outside the meeting on Tuesday, with some claiming the solar farm would destroy the area.
The meeting was told that nearly 5,000 people have written to the planning inspectorate, with the majority in opposition to the plans.
Lime Down Solar Park would be four miles (6.4km) wide and two miles (3.2km) long, with solar panels that would stand at 14.7ft (4.5m) tall.
Campaigners have claimed the site would swamp the villages it encompasses including Hullavington, Stanton St Quintin, Sherston, Luckington and Upper Seagry.
Speaking at the meeting earlier, Sir Mike Pitt, of the Stop Lime Down campaign group, said: "We understand government policy, but we believe this is the wrong site in the wrong location."
He added that rural roads in the area would struggle with the volume of heavy vehicles needed to create the solar farm.
Tracey Worcester, who lives near the proposed solar farm site, said the area is "so beautiful" and needs to be protected for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders.
"We need the countryside...we can't keep on destroying it,"
More than 100 people attended the meeting and not everyone was against the plans.
Some residents said an increase in solar power will be good for the community.
Former Malmesbury mayor Lesley Bennett said the solar farm could help address global warming and combat climate change.
"It's only a relatively small part of the landscape,"
she said.
"They aren't cutting off any footpaths; in fact they are going to create more footpaths."
Her comments were echoed by Matthew Short of the Wiltshire Climate Alliance, who added: “There’s been a huge protest group, a very effective protest group, but we need renewable energy.
“I hope the planning inspector takes on some of the views and then, maybe, there is a middle ground on how the scheme can be shaped - so it’s not quite so impactful to local residents, but also benefits renewable energy.”
Wiltshire Council previously objected to the plans, citing "significant unresolved concerns".
Threlfall said his team would continue to respond to any points raised as part of the planning examination process.
“We remain confident that Lime Down is a well-designed scheme that could provide significant amounts of clean UK-generated electricity, reducing reliance on imported fuel that, as we have seen again in recent weeks, leaves British households and businesses vulnerable to sudden and costly price rises,”
he added.