Plans drawn up for 22 megawatt solar farm in south Shropshire
Plans are being drawn up for a 22 megawatt solar farm in the south Shropshire countryside.
Developers have approached Shropshire Council planners to ask them if they would need to submit a complex environmental impact assessment.
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Planners have this week concluded that the proposal to the north of Walton in Onibury, near Craven Arms would have “no likely significant environmental effects which would give rise to the need for an EIA.”
The planning department’s ruling clears the way for a planning application to be lodged at some time in the future.
Planning officials at the council have told applicant Dan Chalk and his agent at Gravis Planning that they need to consider issues to do with biodiversity and other solar farms in the area.
Planners write: “There is a solar farm site within 3km of the proposed development site.
“There are additionally large-scale solar farms at Rocks Green and Ledwyche, Ludlow, and north of Craven Arms at Henley Common, however these are over 7km away from the proposed site.”
Officials say that they understand that the intention is to submit a full planning application for a ground mounted solar farm with an export capacity of some 22.2MW with landscaping, associated infrastructure and the provision of access and operational access tracks.
Any future planning application would also need to include a geophysical survey to assess any archaeology as well as other assessments about the impact.
