We have now submitted a planning application for the Middleroad solar project:

• THE SOLAR FARM will have an export capacity of 49.99MW. A solar farm of this size will generate enough clean electricity to save to 27,188 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually compared to generating the same amount of electricity using coal. This represents a significant contribution to the legally binding national and international requirement and associated targets to increase renewable energy generation and reduce CO2 emissions. For context, the solar farm can meet the electricity needs of approximately 14,500 homes in the District;
• Battery Storage is proposed to increase the effectiveness of the Proposed Development, balancing the release of electricity produced from the solar farm and other renewable energy generators into the grid;
• This scheme represents a significant financial investment that would benefit the local economy during the construction and operational phase by using local contractors where possible;
• The solar farm will also provide economic benefits through the payment of business rates;
• Multiple third party technical reports have showed that the Proposed Development would have a minimal impact on the environment and if anything that it would offer significant ecological and landscape enhancement by securing a Biodiversity Net Gain of over 30% in Habitat Units and by retaining and enhancing existing landscape features, particularly the hedgerow field boundaries and promotes the use of traditional field hedges and diversity of native hedgerow species;
• The Applicant will also be offering a community benefit fund of £50,000 to local organisations.

THE SITE extends to approximately 89 hectares and comprises agricultural land divided by hedgerows split across two separate areas, a southern parcel which is dissected by the trainline and a northern parcel. The southern parcel of land is positioned to the north of Middle Road and to the north and east of Middle Road Farm. The second parcel is positioned to the north-east of Sharmer Fields House and adjacent to Island Farm. The site is located approximately 1km north-west of Harbury and approximately 1.2km west of Ufton at its closest point. The site has been chosen for a number of reasons including:

• The area has an increasing demand for energy and this site has a technically and commercially viable grid connection;
• The area benefits from a nearby point of connection to the electricity network, avoiding excessive and unnecessary disruption and roadworks;
• There are no statutory designated areas within the site;
• The majority of the site is located in Flood Zone 1 with a small portion of the southern area of the site located within Flood Zone 2 and Flood Zone 3 and the site layout has been carefully designed to ensure the development would remain operational and safe during times of flooding;
• The site has good access to the main highway network avoiding the need for construction traffic to be directed through villages and narrow lanes;
• The site contains no areas of higher quality agricultural land and the layout, through its setting (enough space between and under each row of solar panels) will allow livestock to graze so the land will remain in agricultural use as well as generating clean power.