Wiltshire farmland set to be covered in 2,000 acres of solar panels
Plans have been unveiled for 2,000 acres of solar panels across Wiltshire countryside, just north of the M4.
The Lime Down Solar Park would be spread across six locations in the Sherston, Hullavington, and Stanton St Quintin areas of Wiltshire, north of the M4 and south of Malmesbury.
The plans have been put forward by international developer Island Green Power who say it would generate enough clean energy to power around 115,000 homes.
The panels would be built at the sites to generate energy, which would then be connected to the National Grid at Melksham Substation through underground cabling.
The project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project because the capacity of the proposed development is over 50 megawatts.
This means that the decision for whether it goes ahead or not will need to come from the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, currently Claire Coutinho, rather than Wiltshire Council.
If consent was granted, it is not expected that construction would start before 2027.
The plans are currently in a stage one consultation, running until April 26, which will be followed by a second consultation period on updated proposals this winter.
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Residents and local stakeholders have been urged to give feedback on the early plans during this time, to help shape the final scheme.
The application is expected to be submitted in the first quarter of 2025.
Once it has been submitted, the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero has 28 days to decide whether to accept it for examination.
Protect development manager Natasha Worrall said: “We are excited to bring forward these plans for Lime Down Solar Park to provide a significant amount of clean electricity for businesses and homes in the region and support national and regional aims to decarbonise our electricity systems and bolster our energy security.
“As well as providing clean electricity which helps us move away from polluting fossil fuels, it is our ambition to design the project in a way that also boosts and enhances local wildlife by delivering a net gain in biodiversity.
“We are dedicated to responsible land use and believe that the development and delivery of utility-scale farms can coexist harmoniously with their environment.
“We also believe those communities closest to the proposed development should benefit from it.”