Solar Farm planning application approved

The proposal we told you about back in April for a solar farm at Says Court Farm, in the countryside to the west of Nibley Lane, has now been approved by South Glos Council's planning committee.

The conditions were largely as in the report but with two additions (the conditions proposed by the Coal Authority and Network Rail). The condition about what should happen at the end of the 25 years was reworded so that it also required removal of the apparatus if the generation of power ceased some time before then.

During the meeting, officers also clarified the use of the community benefit fund. While still objecting to the application, Westerleigh Parish Council had negotiated on a "without prejudice" basis a community benefit of £1000 per MW generated, which could mean up to £17,500 a year for environmental projects to benefit the local community. Officers emphasised that their recommendation did not depend on this, it was a unilateral undertaking by the applicants, AEE Renewables. In the first year, £7000 will be available for ecological improvements on site, in conjunction with Avon Wildlife Trust.

Solar Farm application - have your say

AEE Renewables have submitted their application for a solar farm at Says Court Farm, in the countryside to the west of Nibley Lane.

You can view the details and make any comments you may have on the South Glos website. The closing date for comments is 1st May.

The best map is shown as "PLANNING STATEMENT(APPENDIX A: LOCATION PLAN)" - the South Glos location plans are muddy and not easy to locate the site from.

Renewable energy

It was good to see the new wind turbines installed at Avonmouth recently. They're certainly an impressive sight - this photo was taken from Portishead.

In the meantime, we're doing our bit to make small-scale renewable energy cheaper. A while ago a £50 fee was introduced for people wanting advice about permitted development - in other words, whether or not you need to put in a planning application. It turned out that they were even charging for advice on applying to put in solar panels and the like - just the wrong message when you want to encourage them! Now, after pressure by Lib Dem councillors, the charge has been removed completely for advice on renewable energy proposals.

P.S. Those wind turbines weren't the first renewable energy project at Avonmouth. Back in the Eighties the Wessex Water sewage treatment works, which generates electricity from methane, was connected to the mains network. The Evening Post headline at the time was "Power from the people"!