All solar farm applicants stress that the land use is temporary and the land will be improved through fallow use during the forty years. That is questioned in a submission by Shropshire Council to the planning appeal on the Ledwyche solar farm, on the east side of Squirrel Lane. In a significant clarification of planning officers’ position on whether solar farms are temporary, they say that none have yet been decommissioned and it is not known if the land can be fully restored. They also say that 40 years is a long time to take land out of production. Ledwyche Solar Farm is on good quality agricultural land and officers say that the Southern Planning Committee was entitled to take this into account when it rejected the application. Harris Lamb Property has provided further details of the proposal from Anglo Renewables for a 50 MW, 49 hectare solar farm between […]
Category: Energy
In our modern world, should we scrap daylight saving time?
Correction Oops. Due to being upset by the time change, my excuse and I am sticking to it, I said clocks went backwards but of course they leapt forwd one hour. All the more reason for abandoning the habit of changing clocks twice a year. Original article Morning, if you are awake yet. Did you oversleep? Take a lie in? Or rush to work an hours earlier than usual. Overnight at 1am the clocks went back to midnight, cutting an hour off the night hours. Digital clocks will have adjusted automatically. Many people will be adjusting their analogue clocks. A few won’t bother and will allow for the extra hour. The twice annual changing of the clocks is a century or so old practice conducted without ceremony. The concept was daylight saving, getting more daylight in conventional working hours. These days there is no such thing as conventional hours. It […]
Shropshire Council missing targets on streetlight repairs
With dark evenings and mornings, residents have been reporting faulty streetlights to Shropshire Council. Last Wednesday’s cabinet was told 7.25% of the council’s 20,000 streetlights currently have faults (around 1,450 lights). A faulty lamp should be repaired or replaced within five working days but the current delays mean it is taking 10 to 15 days to get the light back on. Some jobs are scheduled for work within 28 days, for example when the light standard has to be replaced or when an LED light is installed for the first time. These jobs are taking are taking up to 42 days. Many jobs seem to be taking even longer than this. The cabinet was told that 60% of the council’s streetlights still use sodium lamps, which give the familiar orange glow. It is no longer possible to get replacement bulbs for these and all repairs must install LED lighting.
Why we are set to get more solar farms around Ludlow
There is a feeling that it is a new gold rush. In reality the current suite of planning applications for solar farms east and south east of Ludlow is being driven by farmers seeking a more secure income in turbulent times, the pressing need to reduce CO2 emission from electricity generation as part of the UK’s net zero commitment and the opportunities for to connect solar farms to the national grid. There is currently one solar farm east of Ludlow suppling the national grid. Another four are at different stages of the planning system. They may not be the last applications we will see in this area. Why so many in this area? The straightforward answer is that there is capacity to connect to the national power grid through Squirrel Lane Substation.
Plans for solar farm at Brick House Farm, Greete published
Plans have been published for a solar farm at Brick House Farm, Grete (22/02565/FUL). The 54-hectare solar farm would have a capacity of around 49.9 MW, generating enough renewable energy to meet the annual electricity needs of approximately 15,000 homes. The developer, Bluefield, expects to begin construction of the site in 2023 if it gains approval from Shropshire Council. Bluefield says the Greete site was chosen for its seclusion, relatively poor soil quality and access to the grid. The proposal includes biodiversity and landscape enhancement measures, including hedgerow planting and filling gaps in existing hedgerows. Sheep may also be grazed underneath the solar panels. The project is expected to contribute about £10 million in business rates to Shropshire Council over 40 years. A community fund of about £150k will be established to invest in local projects and initiatives.