Plans for two new Shropshire solar farms submitted

The Telford plant would be the second major power plant scheme for the town.

The Wrockwardine site would have tens of thousands of solar panels and would produce enough power for around 2,200 homes.

It is similar to a plan underway at Wheat Leasows, Hadley, which Telford & Wrekin Council hopes will generate nearly £4.5 million over 25 years.

Another solar farm is already proposed for Condover, near Shrewsbury, and land has now also been earmarked for a power plant at Twemlows Stud Farm, near Whitchurch.

Power company Vogt Solar is behind the scheme at Tiddiecross, in Charlton near Wrockwardine.

Land around and beneath the solar panels will be sown with grass, creating a meadow, designed to attract birds and insects to the site.

Sheep will also graze the meadow, keeping the land in agricultural use and food production while energy is being generated from the solar panels.

A public exhibition was held in Wrockwardine in July for local residents to comment on the plans, which have now been formally submitted.

James Stone of Vogt said: "The exhibition was really useful in terms of discussing the plans with local residents, and very few concerns were raised. The comments we received helped us to evolve the proposals before they were submitted."

A community benefit fund will be set up, offering funds for the first three years to support local renewable energy, energy efficiency or other projects.

Mr Stone said, "We think it's important that the local community shares in the benefits of the solar farm. We are keen to hear from any groups or projects needing support and we'll be discussing the fund with the local parish council too."

Land at Twemlows Stud Farm has been earmarked for a scheme that could power more than 2,000 homes.

Plans for the former airfield at Twemlows Hall were unveiled in the spring. Now a planning application has been submitted to Shropshire Council by Vogt Solar Ltd for a temporary 16.3MW solar farm, which it is claimed could save more than 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

The firm said the majority of the 56.8 acre farm site would remain in agricultural use and, after 25 years, the fields will be returned to grazing or other agricultural use and the solar panels removed and recycled.

A public exhibition was held in Ash Magna in April.

Lightsource Renewable Energy has drawn up similar schemes for Charity Farm, Burlton, near Wem, and Hadley Farm, near Whitchurch.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England have raised concerns about the impact of solar farms on the countryside. But Shropshire councillor for Whitchurch South, Gerald Dakin, said he thought the Twemlows scheme would be "well received", adding: "I think it's a great way of generating power for the town, I'm interested in whether it could power industrial estates too."