Plans for new solar farm near Calne to be considered

Plans to build a new solar park on a former landfill site in Wiltshire have been put forward.

The application submitted to Wiltshire Council is for up to nine hectares (22 acres) of solar panels on land to the east of Calne.

The new solar park would be south of the existing High Penn Solar Park, a 9.6-megawatt solar power station.

Consultation on the plans continues until 28 March.

And the council is set to make a decision on the application by the end of May.

The application, submitted by Valencia Energy, said the site was "not visible" from any residential property in the immediate area.

It also states there would be "virtually no views" of the development from local footpaths and little impact on the view from the Cherhill White Horse.

To further reduce the visual impact of the solar farm "belts of planting" are also being proposed.

Wiltshire Council has received numerous applications for solar parks across the county in recent years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Last year, North Wiltshire Heritage Group claimed the county had the largest concentration of solar farms anywhere in the UK.

The council, which acknowledged a climate emergency in 2019, has recognised the concerns but has affirmed there need for more renewable energy in the county.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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