A solar panel farm is being proposed for agricultural land located to the south of Yate and Chipping Sodbury, spanning around 123 acres. If given the green light, the project could generate enough electricity to power over 10,000 homes annually. Bristol Live readers are, on the whole, dubious about the benefits to their local area.
The planning application follows a public consultation which involved sending letters and feedback forms to 2,567 locals and hosting an in-person consultation attended by 67 individuals. According to a report submitted to the council by RWE, the pre-application consultation feedback was “predominantly positive”, with 64% expressing support or neutrality towards the proposals.
RWE has expressed its intention to work closely with local representatives on the planting and design of the area, as well as creating new habitats across the proposed solar farm to ensure it blends with the surroundings and supports the conservation efforts of the nature reserve.
The Mousewell Solar Farm, if approved, would contribute to South Gloucestershire Council’s pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, following its declaration of a climate emergency in July 2019.
The planning application can be viewed here by searching reference P24/03001/F.
Commenter Thegreatfactsby says: “Excellent PR work from one of the world’s largest energy companies. This development has literally no benefit to the surrounding community, there were 195 objections and only 5 supporting the application. RWE sets up PPA (Power purchase agreements) on such sites, the energy does not go to local communities, it goes to big business to ‘offset carbon footprints’. That farmland will be locked out of community use for at least 40 years.”
Berklicker agrees: “As far as I understand the electricity won’t actually power any of the homes in Yate, it will be sold to the grid like a crop is sold at market. It will only benefit the company running it and the power companies who then sell power back to the customer at a vast profit.”
BobbyRaikes replies: “That is standard at any solar farm, so shouldn’t be a surprise or matter for faux outrage. The farmer leases land to the solar array company and gets paid rent. A solar array company generates the power and sells it to the grid. The grid sells it to companies who sell it to you. No mystery. Or you invest in your own solar array on your house and lower your own bills and if you have excess -sell that to the grid.”
Table For Two writes: “France has just passed a law whereby any car park over a certain size, new or existing, must have a solar panel canopy installed. Seems like a no-brainer as it not only generates, but uses no new land. In summer it provides shade for the cars which means they don’t get so hot. It should happen here.”
Robofbristol agrees: “I think it’s criminal to use good productive farmland for this hair-brained scheme. We just don’t get enough sunshine to make these setups viable. They call them solar farms to give a green spin. They are an eyesore in the countryside. If they want to install these useless things they should be doing so on urban roofs, not farmland. To those who think it’s green, think again. The panels are mostly shipped from China, have a lifetime of about 20 years, and are impossible to recycle. This concept of free energy is just an illusion—just look at how our bills are skyrocketing!”
Bs3bob adds: “Nothing wrong with solar farms, but good agricultural land should be used to grow food.”
Berklicker replies: “I’ve seen places that do both. Crops are grown between the rows of panels, mostly quick crops like beetroot, radishes and salad leaves but the harvesting all has to be done by hand so it’s less profitable so guess what? It doesn’t happen. It’s all about profits. Farmers are repeatedly pushed to breaking point by the supermarkets so it becomes almost charitable supplying milk to them when milk is a product that can be cheapened endlessly at the point of retail to win customers. The supermarkets are raking in billions and the farmers constantly struggle. Isn’t capitalism great! No wonder land is being turned over to solar farming.”
Team states: “Stick as many as you like up. Will never be enough. Sunshine and wind energy is as reliable as the weather. Funny that.”
How do you feel about solar farms? Are they the future of clean energy or a blot on the landscape? Have your say in our comments section.