Solar farm planned for 64-acre site

In November Solar Power South Ltd has submitted a request to Stratford District Council for a formal scoping opinion in respect of a proposed planning application for the creation of a solar farm on the agricultural land south of the B4451.

The proposal includes the installation of up to 50,000 solar panels and associated works which would remain in place for 25 years after which time the field would be returned to its current condition.

It is intended that sheep would graze between the panels to maintain the pasture.

Villagers have been asked for their opinion on the proposals and a group in Deppers Bridge are preparing to campaign against the plans.

Writing on the Southamonline website, Adrian Denham said: “Obviously any interference with footpaths would be one concern, as would be the impact on landscape ad the countryside of such an intrusively large installation.”

Solar Power South is claiming that the site offers a rare opportunity for a viable power grid connection without significant and costly upgrades.

The company has also said that the site could also provide a significant contribution to cutting CO2 emissions and meeting the Government’s renewable energy targets in the face of significant cuts to the feed in tariff.

This week consumers were warned that they face higher energy bills as the UK becomes more reliant on energy imports.

Energy watchdog Ofgem’s chief executive Alistair Buchanan said that Britain “would be very tight on power station capacity in three to five years time”.

He added: “We’re going to have to go shopping in world markets at a time when they will be very tight on supplies themselves.”

“There isn’t a single person or people to blame. In my view it was a single event - the financial crisis.”