Leaford Solar Farm, located on land between Stallington and Saverley Green, proposes an extensive range of biodiversity measures including the planting of wildflower meadows, native trees and over 2 kilometres of new hedgerow as well as hedgehog houses, bee banks and bird boxes – all of which will create vital resources for wildlife and give a significant biodiversity boost to the site if the project is granted consent.
The strong levels of solar irradiation expected mean that the scheme would be capable of generating up to 30 MW of clean, low cost renewable electricity, enough to power approximately 8,000 homes and offset 670,000 tonnes of CO2 over its 40 year operational lifetime. The solar farm would also include energy storage which will help to increase the flexibility and generation opportunities of the site.
In addition, detailed environmental and technical studies have been undertaken to assess the site and considerable design changes made in response to community consultation - including reshaping the layout to reduce potential visibility from Fulford village and Saverley Green Road and repositioning the site entrance to prevent any tree loss.
“With the recent State of Nature Report confirming a 19 percent decline in average species abundance across the UK since 1970, it’s critical that we start prioritising biodiversity – and solar farms are a great way of doing this” said Claire Chamberlain, Development Project Manager for RES. “Projects like Leaford Solar Farm not only deliver a significant boost to biodiversity - but are sustainable in other ways. The low intensity regime of a solar farm means that soil quality is given the chance to regenerate, helping to ensure the continued availability of high-quality agricultural acreage for future generations. The site has been carefully developed to fit sensitively into the local landscape whilst also maximising the clean, low cost renewable electricity that it will generate. We believe that the proposal is much improved as a direct result of the community feedback received, and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to engage with us and share their views.”
Solar farms can be quick to deploy once consented and form a cornerstone of the UK’s net zero carbon emission reduction targets. They also help improve energy security by generating electricity domestically and are one of the cheapest forms of new electricity generation alongside other renewable technologies – making them not only good for the environment but also for the consumer.
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