A green belt site on farmland outside Bristol has been earmarked to construct a huge new solar farm. PS Renewables, a Spanish-English solar energy developer, has announced plans to build a five-megawatt solar farm on a 22 acres site south of Haberfield Park Farm at Abbots Leigh.
The land is currently used to grow crops, but the scheme could see rows of PV panels installed in lines up to 3.5 metres from the ground. Access to the site would be down an existing track from the A369 - a busy commuter route into Bristol.
The site, from which energy would be fed into the regional grid, would be controlled remotely, and CCTV would also be installed. It's estimated that the infrastructure would take four months to build and have a lifespan of 40 years.
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Once active, the land around the panels would remain available for grazing. After decommissioning, the site would be returned to agricultural purposes.
PS Renewables had applied to North Somerset Council to ask whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was needed for the scheme. Although Abbots Leigh Parish Council requested that an EIA be carried out, North Somerset Council has now ruled such a study is unnecessary.
A spokesman for PS Renewables said: “PS Renewables does not consider that the development of the proposed solar farm would have significant effects on the environment by the virtue of factors, such as its natures, size and location and as such does not consider that a full EIA is required.”
A planning application for the scheme is now expected to be submitted.
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