More than 100 solar panels could be installed at Environment Agency depot

More than 100 solar panels could be installed at the Environment Agency’s Chippenham depot according to a planning application recently submitted to Wiltshire Council.

Located in the south west of Chippenham, at the end of Bath Road, the site includes a workshop building upon which the applicant is seeking to install 120 solar panels.

The proposal is part of a wider DEFRA decarbonisation project which aims to “retrofit existing buildings with sustainable, renewable energy sources.”

The Chippenham depot is one of the ten sites around the country which DEFRA has selected for the project.

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The application states: “The proposals will facilitate the generation of a renewable energy source for the Chippenham sub area offices for the Environment Agency which provides a significant environmental benefit for both the immediate and wider area.

“Additional benefits resulting from the scheme include: a contribution towards diversity and security of supply; a reduction in demand on the national power network; and a reduction in harmful emissions to the environment through the use of fossil fuels.”

Wiltshire Council will consider the plans over the coming weeks and make its decision by Friday, June 7.