Plans for solar farm and battery storage site near Sherborne
It could cover 175 hectares, with access from the A30
A solar farm and battery storage scheme is being proposed at Wyke Farm on the outskirts of Sherborne.
The proposal comes from RWE Solar and Storage UK and covers a 175 hectare site, 4 miles south west of Sherborne, between Bradford Abbas and Thornford, part of the site straddling the Dorset-Somerset border.
If approved it is expected to be in operation for 40 years with access off the A30.
The outline details of the application, which has not yet been submitted for planning consent, does not indicate how many panels or battery storage units are planned for the site.
At this stage the company is asking for council views on the environmental impact of the proposal.
The site itself is not within any designated areas although is close to local Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
The nearest homes are approximately 200m to the west within Bradford Abbas and 500m south on the edge of Thornford at Mill House on Bembury Lane.
Some details have been included about the proposal for a 2-metre security fence and CCTV around the site.
Access to the site is planned through the current entrance of Yeovil Road and the A30, with the potential for additional entry points via Bradford Road on the eastern side of the site.
The southern section is expected to be accessible from Bradford Abbas through Bradford Road.
The company say they are committed to a 50% increase in biodiversity with proposals for extra hedgerow and tree planting and establishing wildflower meadows.
A five metre buffer zone is proposed from any fencing, or field margins.