New Shropshire solar farm plan unveiled
A 78-acre solar farm – one of the largest in the county and the size of 52 football pitches – could be built near a Shropshire village.
The development, which would include thousands of panels, would be at Ebnal Lodge, Rhosygadfa, near Gobowen.
Work would be carried out by Bristol-based Elgin Energy EsCo Ltd, which has submitted plans to Shropshire Council and will be holding public consultation at Gobowen Pavilion on September 23.
If plans are approved, construction would take between three and four months. The project would have a lifespan of 25 years.
The site would be surrounded by a two-metre high fence and would be monitored by CCTV.
David Meehan, for Elgin Energy EsCo Ltd, said: "We can confirm that we are committed to paying a one-off community contribution to Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council upon successful completion of the project. The details are £4,000 will be paid per megawatt peak (MWp) installed, for example the total payment would be £60,000 for a 15MWp installation, and payment will be made 30 days after the project is Ofgem accredited. We are also making an offer to Whittington Parish Council."
Sue Crow, chairwoman of Gobowen and Selattyn Parish Council, said she expected a lot of people to turn out for the consultation meeting.
"I think there will be a lot of people interested in the plans," she said.
"I understand the planning application has been submitted but hasn't yet been verified. Once it is verified then we will discuss it at the parish council meeting, probably at October's meeting."
It is the latest plan put forward for Shropshire, adding to seven others in the county.
The consultation for the Ebnal Lodge project will run from 5.30pm to 7pm.
