South Staffordshire Council approved plans on Tuesday (16 July) to build a 31.2 hectares (77 acres) solar farm in South Staffordshire.
This new solar farm will be constructed on farmland located south of Four Ashes and near Standeford. It will reportedly generate enough energy to power 8,000 homes in its first year, saving both energy and CO₂.
The farm will be built by Renewable Connections, who have built several farms throughout the UK. Their Bradley Road Solar Farm in Lincolnshire reportedly saves 8,260 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
Several residents objected to the plans and argued that an access road would be damaged during the construction. They also worried that they would have to pay for its repair. However, Renewable Connections stated that they would pay for everything.
Others argued that the construction would impact agricultural land in the area. The development manager for Renewable Connections, Jack Halstead responded to this by stating: “The agricultural use of the site will be retained for the duration of the project, and there will be no loss of agricultural land.”
Sheep that currently use the land earmarked for the farm will still be permitted access to it. Sheep will be able to graze underneath the panels once the farm is complete.
Experienced writer and journalist James McKean leads the daily editorial output at StaffsLive. To contact him, email news@staffslive.co.uk
