Giant solar farm planned close to Peak could power 8,000 homes
A GIANT solar farm that could power more than 8,000 homes is planned for the edge of the Derbyshire Peak District.
Kronos Solar Projects, which has built more than 40 large-scale solar farms to date, wants to construct another on land off Dolly Lane in Buxworth, near Chapelen-le-Frith.
The development would be placed on a 77.2-acre site, which is the equivalent of 43 football pitches.
In an application for a screening opinion from High Peak Borough Council, the applicant states onethird of the land would be covered by the panels.
According to planning documents the farm would generate 20 megawatts of electricity, which could be enough to power 8,000 homes.
In a covering statement, it states the land that would be use for the farm is currently covered by a mixture of mature trees and agricultural fields, most of which are not visible from the surrounding area. It added the solar farm would be temporary in nature - with a 40-year lifespan.
“The land is within Green Belt but we do not foresee any issue given the temporary nature of the development,” it said.
“Additionally, the site is adjacent to the Peak District National Park, but again it is not expected that the proposed development will affect the nature of the National Park.”
According to the documents, the land is only suitable for a limited type of crops which, along with the topography, makes it suitable for use as a solar farm. The document states: “Thanks to sufficient spacing between the module tables, we anticipate that only one third of the site would be effectively covered by solar panels, which allows for the ongoing agricultural function of the land as a grazing site for animals.
“This is also supported by access tracks for construction and maintenance, which will also be accounted for in the future layout.”
It added this would help increase the amount of energy produced by renewable sources, something that would help the environment.
“A balance between the minimal impacts and the associated benefits of the scheme suggests the latter outweigh the former, especially because of the renewable energy nature of the development that has multiple environmental benefits,” it said.
“It is important to note that the site is not subject to any local or national designations, as reviewed in detail in this document and it shows no major constraints to deny its development. “Such sites should be actively promoted by the council to continue to raise the UK’s renewable energy share and contribute to reaching the overall targets.”
The full application can be viewed on the High Peak Borough Council planning portal under reference HPK/2021/0696.
It is not expected that the proposed development will affect the nature of the National Park.” Planning report