35-year solar farm plan criticised

TEMPORARY plans for a new solar farm have been criticised after it emerged the facility would be in place for 35 years.

The proposal has been lodged by Newport council for the farm to be sited on the Gwent Levels.

If approved, a 2.37MW solar farm will be built on land to the west of Docks Way recycling centre.

But those objecting to the plans have questioned how the site can be classed as temporary when the farm could be in operation for up to 35 years.

The land, currently used for agriculture, could be used “temporarily” as a solar farm for 35 years, according to the planning application.

A design and access statement for the plans says that access to the solar farm would be created via the M4 and A48 network. It would require minimal works as the access track was previously used for the former Maesglas tip.

The access statement says: “The proposal is likely to generate a total of 55 construction and delivery vehicle trips (110 two-way trips) during the most intensive phase of construction. Based on a two-week period, this will equate to approximately eight vehicle trips (two-way) per day.”

In a pre-application consultation, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales raised concerns over the location, which is in close proximity to the Gwent Levels and near an “undeveloped coastal zone”.

The charity also said: “There are currently multiple applications for solar arrays of various sizes on sites on and around the Gwent Levels.

“There is a serious danger of an overall insidious detrimental impact on the wider landscape as a result of these numerous proposals.

“In our opinion, it is implausible for a development to be considered temporary if it is going to remain in place for 35 years.”

In response the pre-application consultation report says: “The planning application proposes a 35-year lifespan, as such, the development would be required to be decommissioned after this period.”

The application will be considered by Newport council in the coming months.