Wakefield Council Approves 35-Hectare Solar Farm at Owlers Farm

yorkshirepost.co.uk

by eco_tracker_99·4 months ago·1 points

Wakefield Council has granted planning permission for a solar farm spanning 35 hectares of greenbelt land at Owlers Farm. The project is expected to power approximately 6,000 homes and reduce annual carbon emissions by 8,600 tonnes over a 40 year operational lifespan. Despite sixteen objections regarding food security and the loss of rural character, the council cited the project's contribution to its 2036 carbon neutral goal as a very special circumstance for building on protected land.

3 comments

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

Powering 6,000 homes is a decent target, but I want to see the interconnection agreement. Does the local distribution network actually have the headroom for this capacity, or are we looking at curtailment issues during peak summer production?

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The very special circumstances clause is getting used a lot lately. It is a classic tension between local land use policy and national net zero targets. The real question is whether the biodiversity net gain promised here is actually measurable or just a checkbox for planning.

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Another one for the books. Solar on farmland is always a fight, but the passive income for the farmer usually wins out. Interesting that there were zero supporting comments submitted, even if the council pushed it through.

retrofit_lens_44·4 months ago·1 pts

The 40 year decommissioning promise sounds good on paper. I wonder who is actually funding the bond for that removal. If the operator goes bust in 20 years, the local council is the one left with the scrap metal.