Solar farm ‘big enough to power 10k homes’
Elgin energy’s bid to build park near historic site
A HUGE solar farm capable of powering more than 10,000 homes a year could be built near Bosworth Battlefield.
Elgin Energy is proposing a 62-hectare solar power park on an area of farmland at Hangman’s Hall, to the south east of Sutton Cheney.
The 35MW project would be in place for a period of 30 years, plus up to four months for construction and four months for decommissioning, if given the green light.
It will provide enough clean electricity to power 10,500 homes, or 15,000 electric cars, annually and would offset 570,000 carbon tonnes throughout its lifetime.
Sheep will graze between the panels once they are installed and energised.
The site would be accessed via a new track from Wharf Lane to the west, while another new track to a substation would be built on Stapleton Lane to the south.
The proposal for a solar farm is currently being considered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
A design statement filed as part of the application said: “If Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council is to continue to play a leading role in renewable energy generation in England then such electricity generation will continue to need to be introduced, which will generally need to be located outside of urban areas, and within the countryside where the capacity to support such developments on a commercial scale exists.”
Masts would be built to connect the new power supply to existing 132KV pylons.
Small control buildings of up to three metres in height will be built at regular points throughout the park, to convert the power produced by the panels into AC electricity.
Perimeter fencing of wooden posts and thin wire mesh will prevent deer from entering the site.