Stansted Airport bids to build solar farm
The transport hub wants to use the sun to provide of its energy needs
Stansted Airport has launched a bid to build a solar farm in the Essex countryside which would power all of its electricity.
The international airport has applied directly to the government to build the farm on 22.5 hectares of agricultural land in Takeley owned by its parent company Manchester Airport Group, roughly the size of 225 Olympic swimming pools.
Uttlesford District Council, which was designated earlier this year, is acting as a consultee for the proposals, and can tell the planning inspectorate if they support or oppose the plans.
After voting down motions to support and oppose the solar farm, the council’s planning committee voted to issue a neutral response at a meeting earlier today (July 6).
It will also highlight a list of concerns alongside its response, including over the farm’s location in the countryside protection zone, a belt of land designed to separate neighbouring towns and villages from the airport.
Some committee members also claimed at the meeting the farm would cause “harm” to a nearby listed building and said there was no information over potential alternative sites.
Councillor Geoff Bagnall (Residents for Uttlesford, Takeley) said: “The harms clearly outweigh any potential benefits and I have to be honest, I see no benefit for the district or wider community other than the fact that it provides electricity for an employment site within the district”.
Chairing the meeting, Councillor Mark Lemon (Con, Hatfield Health) reminded the committee a major airport becoming self-sufficient with green energy would be a benefit to the community.
He said: “We are arguing all the time we must become greener. This is an effort I think for the airport to be self-sufficient in their energy and in my opinion that does carry quite a lot of weight”.
Uttlesford District Council declared a climate emergency in 2019.
According to a council report, the solar farm would meet the current and future electricity needs of Stansted Airport, of which 87% of its power use is supplied by electricity.
There would also be five on-site battery storage units proposed to meet demands outside of peak production hours.
There would be 72 panels, approximately 2.2m by 1.3m in size and 3m tall.
The solar farm would have a life-span of 25-30 years before being decommissioned, and the land returned to agricultural use, according to the report.
The planning inspectorate will decide on whether to grant permission for the farm to be built.