Northampton solar farm tipped for green light
Plans to build a ‘significant’ 80-acre solar farm on the edge of Northampton look set to be given the go-ahead.
The development, which has been recommended for approval by planning officers, would see around 50,000 solar panels placed on land at Preston Deanery south of Brackmills Industrial Estate, according to the applicant, Grange Farm Partnership.
If approved, the planned solar farm will generate up to 27.8 MW of electricity – enough power for more than 3,000 homes – and go towards the government’s goal of achieving net zero by 2050, the developer says.
The fate of the scheme will be decided by West Northamptonshire Council’s planning committee on Tuesday, 14 July.
“At a local level, a climate change emergency was declared by the former Daventry District Council in February 2020 whereby the council, now West Northamptonshire Council, has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030,” said a supporting statement, reminding the authority of its own policy.
“The proposal would be a positive step in support of this commitment which is only a few years away.
“The application site benefits from the required high voltage lines crossing the site which enables a grid connection to be made with a [ customer substation ] in the centre of the site as shown on the site layout plan. This makes the site, combined with its close proximity to emerging residential development, ideal for the provision of a solar farm which would ultimately be temporary in nature.”
A report by the authority’s planning officers said the solar farm would make a “significant contribution” towards national and local objectives to transition to a low carbon economy, despite affecting views for users of a public footpath which runs directly through the middle of the site.
“When weighed against the substantial public benefits arising from the generation of renewable energy, biodiversity enhancements and the contribution towards achieving national net zero objectives, officers conclude that the benefits of the proposal decisively outweigh the identified harms,” they added.
Plans and documents relating to the application can be found on West Northamptonshire’s planning portal using reference: 2023/7911/MAF
