Telford could be leading light in solar energy

It would become only the second council-run solar farm in the UK.

The farm would mean 20,000 solar panels on a site near to the Jigsaw School in Wheat Leasows, Hadley.

If given the green light it would follow the example of the first council-run site in Newquay, Cornwall.

Telford & Wrekin Council's bid for a £6 million facility in Wheat Leasows comes after plans for Shropshire's first multi-million pound solar plant got the go-ahead in Shrewsbury.

Later this year, thousands of 9ft high solar panels on metal frames will be planted on a 54-acre site at Hayford Farm, near Westbury, nine miles from Shrewsbury.

John Smart, chairman of Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council today said he was happy with the plans for Wheat Leasows.

"My personal opinion is I welcome it," he said. "I think its a wonderful idea.

"I would imagine the land is already earmarked for development, so I am sure people would rather have this than houses or factories.

"It's going to be less of an impact on the environment and it's going to continually generate power for the council.

"In today's austere times I understand they have to look for other ways of raising money.

"It's going to power at least 1,000 homes and I do know of one or two domestic properties that have these on their roofs and make a bit of money so this will be substantial.

"It's out of the way and will be well and truly screened.

"It doesn't generate any noise and it's better than wind turbines, which I feel are a blot on the landscape. That's just my opinion and any comment by the parish council will be made at the meeting."

Guy Maxwell, of Shropshire Chartered Surveyors, which acted as the agent for the Hayford Farm project, said solar farms were proving increasingly popular because of the efficiency of the systems compared to other energy sources.

He said: "Anaerobic digestion needs 400 acres to produce 0.5 mega watts of energy, while you only need 25 acres of solar panels to generate five megawatts"

Wilfred Maddocks dairy farm in Newport was home to Shropshire's largest solar power system when its 100kw panels were installed two years ago.

"They are doing 20 per cent over budget," said director Richard Maddocks. "There's a lot of anaerobic digestion about and I personally believe it is immoral.

"Fields and fields of maize are being grown to keep them going and when there are people starving in the world it's disgusting. We have got them on the roofs of our sheds so it's not affecting anything."

The first council run solar farm in the UK went live in November at Kernow Solar Park, next to Newquay Cornwall airport.

It followed the authority's first commercial solar farm which was built at a disused tin mine at Wheal Jane near Truro.

It was switched on in 2011 and its 5,680 solar panels produce enough electricity to power about 430 homes.

ShropshireStar.com readers were today divided about the prospect of Telford leading the way in the use of solar power.

Writing on the website and our Facebook page, some praised Telford & Wrekin Council's forward thinking in creating a revenue-creating scheme.

But others were sceptical about the merits of solar energy and somewhere concerned about the visual impact on the landscape.

One reader, called Pete, wrote: "Wouldn't this public money be used best to subsidise the domestic house holder using their roof spaces instead of farm land?

"You simply cannot trust this co-operative council to run a party in a brewery let alone manage something that could be a financial asset.

"Typically this is just another public waste of money, a quango-led subsidised solar panel bought with public money and maintained at the public expense.

"It is another publicity stunt to waste more public money."

Fact file:

• Where: The solar farm is planned for a field in Wheat Leasows

• What: The farm would provide five megawatts of power

• Size: There would be 20,000 of solar panels across 30 acres

• Cost: £6 million up front – but it should make a profit of £5 million over 25 years

• Power: Enough to power 1,000 homes in the Telford area.

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