Plans for solar farm and electric vehicle charging station in Dorset
A £10m application is being planned
Plans are being drawn up for a solar farm and electric vehicle charging station on the outskirts of Winterborne Whitechurch near Blandford.
The site is to the south of the main A354 road on Blandford Hill, between two existing laybys.
A £10 million application for the site is being prepared by Naturalis Energy Developments Ltd.
Its site map shows the T-shaped area running parallel with the main road and stretching back to a track which runs from East Farm to Whitechurch Hill Barn – covering an area of almost 30 hectares.
The company say that if the scheme is allowed they will access the site via one of the laybys on the main road, creating a new entrance possibly with a roundabout, and also install an electric vehicle charging station as part of the project, which could be the first in the area.
Documents from the company say the solar farm, and battery storage area, would have a capacity of 18MW.
It says: “The inclusion of an electric vehicle charging station is an innovative form of technology with only a few other comparable such examples in the country and is in response to an identified regional ‘gap’ in charging infrastructure.”
It aims to provide a covered area and walkway to cater for 6 ultra-rapid (up to 350kW) and 6 rapid (43-100kW) charging points for up to 12 vehicles at any one time. The site would also have a small café and shop and public toilets with around 30 spaces for general parking.
Power from the solar farm will be linked into the grid 1.75km south of the site at a substation in Winterborne Kingston.
Although close to two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty the site lies within the South Blandford Downs, which has a lesser designation.
No public footpaths cross the site although one path runs east-west along the southern boundary from East Farm. Natural England has designated the fields as Grade 3 ‘good to moderate’ land.
Up to 4 charging parking spaces may also be provided within the farm yard at East Farm for private use by the landowners and for those visiting the East Farm shop and café or staying at East Farm Campsite.
No formal planning application is yet available for public comment.
Three solar farms are already operational in the area and connected to the National Grid. These include: North Farm Solar Farm 3.3km to the east of the site; Canada Farm Solar Farm 4km to the north of the site and The Down House Littleton Solar Farm south west of Blandford St Mary, 5.2km to the north east of the site.
A fourth solar farm site, South Farm Solar Farm, has received planning permission and will be 3.8km to the west of the site.