Revised plans submitted for Maiden Newton solar farm
British Solar Renewables wants to put panels in at Wraxall
Revised plans have been sent in to Dorset Council, for a 19 hectare solar farm near Maiden Newton.
British Solar Renewables (BSR) say panels at Wraxall could produce 14MW of power at their peak - that's enough to provide electricity for more than 3,500 homes.
The site lies within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and if approved would also include some small buildings for technical equipment, fencing around the perimeter and CCTV with loudspeakers at broadcast warnings to any intruders.
In a statement, BSR said:
“A number of technical assessments have been carried out with regard to the suitability of the site for the proposed development, including Landscape and Visual Appraisal, Heritage Desk Based Assessment, Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, Agricultural Land Classification and Transport Appraisal and have subsequently informed the layout and helped design a scheme that is sensitive towards and compatible with the local landscape and environment.”
The company says that their plans will include wildflower areas and a bird seed grassland area as well as boxes for bats and birds and also adding to landscaping and allowing hedgerows to grow out.
It has also altered the site from the original proposals, first discussed in 2021, to move panels away from a Bronze Age barrow on the south west boundary.
Public comments on the application remain open until March 24th.
A number of other solar farm applications are also being looked at by Dorset Council at the moment.
They include 600 panels for the roof of a business in Weymouth's Granby Industrial Estate.
Tecan Ltd in Weymouth has asked Dorset Council to consider its application for 586 panels on the north and south facing factory roofs – capable of producing an estimated 196,000 kWh of power each year.
At Incombe Head, Blandford Road, Melbury Abbas, a ‘micro solar farm’ is being proposed on a site which was previously used as a horse menage.
Two rows of panels are being requested capable of producing 35KW, potentially giving 1,000KW hours over the course of a year.
A scheme for 14 ground-mounted panels is also being requested in Burton Bradstock, for a rear garden at Gages Orchard, Shadrach.