Another huge solar farm is proposed in North Lincolnshire.
A planning application has been made for a 51 hectare solar farm near Roxby. It would have a maximum power capacity of almost 50MW, enough to power the needs of 13,000 homes a year. The solar farm could save on 21,600 tonnes of carbon each year it runs.
It comes as a significant solar farm was granted planning approval in Ulceby last week. The Ulceby project will produce enough energy to power more than 10,100 homes a year.
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Roxby Solar Ltd is the applicant, a company with a Mayfair address. It is owned, however, by Canadian Solar UK Projects Ltd. It is one of the largest solar power plant providers globally, with projects in more than 160 countries.
The solar farm’s proposed location is on arable farmland, and most of it has a Grade 2 rating. This means it is very good quality agricultural land. However, an application document states the landowner views it as their least productive land and most at risk of erosion after cultivation.
The solar farm, it is argued, will provide an opportunity to protect the soil, and will not remove it from agricultural stock permanently. It will also still be open to low intensity grazing. The 51 hectare area stretches along the A1077 and either side of the road to Roxby Landfill site.
Besides the photovoltaic panels, there would be eight high voltage inverter platforms, substations, storage containers, fencing and CCTV, and other equipment. Its construction would take six months, with approximately 720 one-way HGV trips generated because of it. This works out to 12 two-way trips a day. Based on the quality of roads nearby though, it is expected it will have negligible traffic impact, an application document states.
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There will be landscaping associated with the project, to help screen it. Without such mitigation, the glint and glare of the solar panels is predicted to have a moderate impact on a 2.2km stretch of the A1077, Winterton Road. Likewise, a high impact on two homes for more than 60 minutes a day.
There will also be a community benefit fund for the local area. This will be worked out on the basis of £500 per MW installed per year, so potentially a £50,000 cash pot for Roxby and its surroundings each year. Possible energy bills help is suggested in the application as one way such a fund could be spent. However, any community fund created as a result is not a material planning consideration.
(Image: Google Streetview)
The project has been in the works for three years – parish councillors were first briefed in November 2021. A public drop-in session was held in March 2023 and more than 450 leaflets were sent out to local residents.
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Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
