Yahoo News Large solar farm near West Northamptonshire village gets green light
Plans for a large solar farm near a village in West Northamptonshire have been approved, despite some concerns around road safety.
Applicants Voltalia UK Ltd are now able to start work on the 54.9 hectare site which runs between the M1 and A5, close to the villages of Kilsby and Crick. Extra traffic control measures have also been accepted to alleviate some safety worries put forward by the Parish Council.
The solar panel development will generate 49.9 MW at its peak, which would then be transferred into the national grid. The closest homes in Kilsby are approximately 1.1km away, however there are some isolated homes, commercial premises and larger agricultural enterprises within the surrounding open countryside.
The developer can install up to 76,912 solar panels across the entire site. The application is for a time-limited operational period of up to 40 years after which the site would be fully restored to its current condition.
Robert Chamberlain, from Voltalia UK, told the planning meeting on Tuesday (June 18): "We're an experienced renewable energy developer and power producer and unlike a lot of promoters we build and operate our own sites.
"This means we make long-term commitments in every community which we operate and we pride ourselves on being considerate neighbours. The proposals will provide reliable and low-cost renewable energy sufficient to power over 14,000 houses.
"The delivery of this project is not only beneficial to the climate, it directly contributes to our national energy security reducing our reliance on energy imports and making our energy system more stable and more affordable."
Mr Chamberlain said the project would provide a CO2 displacement of approximately 35,000 tonnes a year, which is equivalent to removing 5,500 cars from the road driving 15,000 miles a year.
The main vehicular accesses to the two parcels of the site are from existing field accesses from Kilsby Road- a single-carriageway road which connects to the A5.
Despite the safety concerns raised by Crick Parish Council surrounding HGV access to the site from the A5, no objections from the public were received and five letters of support were submitted.
Cllr Alan Chantler, ward councillor for the area, said: "I think it's clear to everybody that a solar farm of this size is a good idea and this location is suitable, partly because the land is available and partly because it is not actually very close to many residential properties.
"The significant problems we have are with the construction traffic. Those of us who use that road and that junction frequently know the difficulty of turning out of Kilsby Road into the A5.
"I'm not trying to stop a solar farm, I'm just trying to make sure that it's safe."
Though all site entrance proposals were deemed to be 'safe' and 'acceptable' by local and National Highways, further safety restrictions were added by West Northamptonshire Council. This includes a restriction on the largest HGVs turning into the smaller parcel of land, putting a temporary speed restriction on Kilsby Road during construction and using temporary traffic lights to restrict vehicles approaching the junction when large HGVs are using the turning.
Endeavours will also be made to ask National Highways if a temporary speed restriction can be placed on the approach to Kilsby Road on the A5. There are predicted to be a maximum of five HGV movements a day, all of which will have to access the site outside of peak hours.
The plans for the solar farm were approved unanimously by West Northamptonshire Council, subject to the enhanced traffic measures.
