Shropshire villagers positive over plans for solar farm

The proposal, earmarked for a site close to the village of Burlton, near Wem, would see about 44,000 panels created and power generated to about 2,900 homes.

It is one of a number of solar farms planned for the county. Plans for a £6 million council-owned solar farm on 30 acres in Telford have been given the go-ahead and in Shrewsbury there are plans for a an 85-acre farm at Sundorne Grove.

People living near the proposed site of the farm in Burlton got to find out more about the scheme at a public exhibition in Loppington Village Hall last night.

Representatives from Lightsource Renewable Energy, which is behind the project, said the farm would take about four months to build and be in use for about 25 years.

Residents, who questioned the visual impacts the farm would have as well as the effects on wildlife, were told the site would be well screened and continue to be used for agriculture.

Geoff Harding, 65, who lives in nearby Myddle, said: "I know there have been issues with wind turbines and pylons and if this sort of energy producing method avoids some of those, then great."

A resident of Burlton, who did not wish to be named, said: "As long as the animals are left, it is kept nice and things return to normal after they have finished with the solar farm, then I don't see a problem with it."

"We will live near it but I don't think we will see it, especially when the hedges and trees grow.

"These certainly look better than turbines. I don't like turbines at all."

Lightsource Renewable Energy has also drawn up a similar scheme for a solar farm near Whitchurch.

An exhibition enabling people o find out more about that project will be held next Tuesday at the Beechtree Community Centre in Whitchurch, from 5.30pm to 8pm. Both proposals could save more than 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, the energy firm said.

Amy McDonald, development manager for the firm, said: "I don't think we have had any objections so far for these ones."

"One of the main concerns we get about solar farms is about visibility, but we make sure they are well screened.

"We are talking about beautiful countryside and people want to protect that.

"It is renewable energy, which is what we need."

She said there are many ways people can get involved in the projects. from the point of design, through to construction work.

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