Go-ahead expected for 61-acre solar farm near Shrewsbury

Shropshire Council's central planning committee will decide next Thursday whether to allow the 35,000-panel solar farm covering nearly 61 acres close to the village of Condover, near Shrewsbury.

A report sent to councillors has recommended they give the proposals the go-ahead.

Concerns had been raised by Shropshire Council highways officials about access arrangements under the original plans.

But developers The Solar Building Company put in amended proposals that have now won the support of council officers.

The report by case officer Grahame French said: "The authority worked with the applicant in a positive and pro-active manner in order to seek solutions to problems arising in the processing of the planning application.

"Further information has been submitted on ecology and public benefits and the layout, access provisions and landscaping proposals have been amended to take account of comments received during the planning consultation process.

"The submitted scheme has allowed the identified planning issues raised by the proposals to be satisfactorily addressed, subject to the recommended planning conditions and legal agreement.

"The proposed facility would generate 9.5 megawatts of renewable electricity for export to the local electricity grid, which is equivalent to the annual power consumption of 3,010 homes. Over the lifetime of the facility over 134,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions would be saved."

Construction is expected to take about four months, with the site due to be in operation for 25 years. As part of suggested conditions for approval, the developer is being asked to install solar panel systems worth £50,000 with a total energy value of 45kW on local properties and public buildings.