Plan for UK's largest community-owned 120-acre solar farm backed

A plan to build a 120-acre community-owned solar farm has been unanimously backed by councillors.

It would cross the England/Wales border on the outskirts of Chester on agricultural land at Bretton Hall Farm in Saltney.

It is designed to generate up to 30 megawatts of renewable energy, which would be enough to power 8,400 homes.

Applicant New Energy Wales believes the project will be the largest community-owned solar farm in the UK.

It will be classed as a community-owned asset, with shares being sold to local people and organisations who then effectively become its owners, with any surplus revenue going towards funding projects of "community benefit".

Because the site covers both Wales and England, two planning applications have had to be submitted.

Cheshire West and Chester Council's planning committee have backed the plan, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In Wales, the project is classed as a Development of National Significance and will be judged by the Welsh Planning Inspectorate with input from Flintshire County Council.

The Cheshire part of the land is almost 60 acres and is used for the grazing of sheep, which will continue, before it would be dismantled in 40 years.

Concerns have previously been raised over the levels of flood risk at the site, as well as the development being on green belt land.

But speaking at the planning meeting, committee member Councillor Myles Hogg said: "I'm a fierce defender of our precious green belt so the test I always apply is 'are there any special circumstances?'. I believe that in this instance there are.

"The land, as we've heard, is not of high agricultural quality and the production of green energy is vital.

"So I believe that any green belt problems can be mitigated."

If everything goes to plan, the target date for construction is next summer.

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