Application Lodged For Solar Farm Capable of Powering 1000+ Homes

An application to develop a solar farm capable of powering more than 1000 homes in Wrexham has been lodged. 

Proposals to create a 3.95MW solar farm on land west of Erlas Lane, Wrexham have been submitted by Lightsource Renewable Energy. If the application is successful enough ‘clean electricity’ could be generated to power 1090 homes.

In total the solar farm would ‘avoid 1860 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions associated with electricity generation each year’ and would reduce Wrexham’s carbon footprint. This is the equivalent of taking 413 cars off the road.

At present north-eastern field is cultivated farmland and if planning permission for the solar farm is granted, sheep will be grazed under and between the rows of solar panels.

Details of the proposed solar farm are provided in the application’s accompanying Design and Access Statement, which notes that the development will ‘not have any significant adverse impact on landscape, ecology or hydrology’.

The Design and Access Statement continues onto note that it is envisioned that the solar farm will:

– Integrate into the surrounding landscape through the intervening topography, existing landscape features; proposed new planting and low profile nature of the site;
-Provide a net gain of biodiversity through a number of appropriate mitigation and sensitive design measures, and a wide range of enhancement measures through a biodiversity management plan;
– Manage the disposal of surface water run off through a sustainable drainage strategy.”

The application is one of several to have been submitted in recent months, with permission recently granted to develop a solar farm on land west of Delph Farm in Penycae. More recently Wrexham’s first solar farm in Legacy celebrated its official opening.