Solar panel plans approved

PLANS have been approved for the installation of 1,762 solar panels on a farm in Wokingham Without.

During August Hall Hunter Partnership, the owners of Heathlands Farm on Honey Hill, had applied for permission to install the equipment, and the associated four concrete footings per panel, on land currently occupied by poly tunnels.

In its application, agents for the owners wrote: “The proposals would replace existing poly tunnels on site, and in doing so would have no greater impact on the countryside than exists presently.

“The polytunnel area being replaced is of the same size as that suggested for the PV panels, thus, the proposal has no greater impact within Heathlands Farm or the wider locality in terms of scale.”

The site is bordered to the east by mobile homes which are occupied by seasonal workers during the summer.

To the west and south are other operational fields associated with the farm, and the site is well screened from the highway due to the surrounding development and mature trees adjacent to the boundary.

The solar panels will be largely shielded from public view by hedges, and would not cause any extra disturbance to nearby residents.

The owners said the electricity generated by the solar farm will be used to power the farm’s operations, and that surplus power would be fed into the national grid.

Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee voted to approve the plans at its meeting last week.

Heathlands Farm produces and handles the distribution of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries for many of the UK’s supermarket chains, including Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Waitrose.