Plans for large solar farm move a step closer
PLANS for a massive solar farm near Treforest which could generate enough power for the equivalent of a small town have taken a step forward.
The application to build a solar park on farmland between Church Village and Treforest, which could power around 7,000 family homes in what the planning report said is a development of national significance, went before Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s planning committee on Febraury 9.
The commitee has now submitted a local impact report for consideration by the planning inspector.
RPS Group Ltd, the agent for the applicant Elgin Energy EsCo Ltd, said the Maes Mawr Solar Farm will have a capacity of approximately 30MW with the power generated being fed into the electricity distribution network.
The proposal is fully reversible at the end of its 40-year life and will be decommissioned with the land returned to agricultural use.
The power generated will be enough to power approximately 7,000 typical family homes and result in an approximate saving of 1,124 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) a year.
The proposal is to build a 30MW solar farm comprising solar panels and frames, inverters, transformers, cabling and a substation at Maes Mawr.
It would also include a new access, internal access tracks, fencing, security measures, underground on-site cabling, and a grid connection cable which will connect the site to the point of connection at the existing Western Power Distribution (WPD) substation to the north east within the Treforest Industrial Estate.
Although the application was considered by Rhondda Cynon Taf council’s planning and development committee, this was to submit a local impact report to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) as an inspector will make the decision.
A decision lies outside the council’s jurisdiction but the local impact report sets out the likely impact of the proposed development on the area.
In its conclusion, the report said it is considered that the proposed development will have a negative impact in landscape visual terms but that it is considered that these impacts can be reduced to relatively minor impacts with appropriate mitigation.
It added that:“Given that, the adverse impacts in this case are mostly relatively minor and can be improved with mitigation it is advised that members offer no objections to the proposals subject to the appointed inspector including the conditions outlined in the Local Impact Report should he/she be minded to grant planning permission in this case.”