A SOLAR farm the size of over 50 football pitches is set to be built to the north of the West Wilts Trading Estate, where it could remain for 25 years.
Almost 26 acres of photovoltaic panels will be installed at the 111 acre site on Brook Hall Farm, and will be capable of producing 10MW of electricity per year – enough to power around 3,000 houses.
The development will consist of static arrays of solar photovoltaic panels, an ancillary plant, electrical equipment, a SSE substation, security cameras, access tracks and fencing. The plans received little resistance from local people and only a handful of letters were sent to Wiltshire Council with concerns. The letters’ primary worries were about the loss of farmland and the number of other solar farms in the area.
The applicant argued that the farm is a good location because it is well screened and isolated from surrounding developments, the fields do not contain a lot of wildlife likely to be affected, and the area has good transport links.
The solar panels, which will feed electricity into the National Grid, are permitted to stay in place for up to 25 years, after which time the land must be returned to its original state.
To view the full plans go to www.wiltshire.gov.uk and enter 15/05656/FUL in the planning application search.
