PLANS have been ann-ounced for a state-of-the-art solar park on the outskirts of Westbury. If it gets permission to go ahead, it will be one of the first in the UK.
Bath property business HPH Commercial Property Ltd is pursuing the project for the solar park off Hawkeridge Road, opposite the West Wiltshire Trading Estate.
Under the proposals, fields to the north and south of Hawkeridge Farm will house photovoltaic panels ranging in height from approximately 1.5 metres to 3 metres across the 35 acre site.
The estimated capacity of the site is 4.5MW-5MW, a capacity that equates to powering approximately 1,000 homes. The development will be able to offset around 2,450 tonnes of CO2 every year.
A planning application has not yet been submitted, but it is hoped that construction can start soon after consent of the scheme has been granted.
An exhibition was held at the Laverton Hall on Saturday to allow local residents to view the plans. There will also be the chance to hear about the proposals at the meeting of the Westbury Area Board on Thursday 3rd February at the Jubilee Hall in Bratton at 7.00pm.
Nick Webb, from exhibition organisers Meeting Place Communications said, “This is an exciting scheme, putting Wiltshire at the forefront of green technological change and, if consented, the scheme will be one of the first of its kind in the UK. We are very keen to hear the thoughts of local residents on the proposals.”