Solar panel farm scheme backed for approval
Plans for more than 20,000 solar panels to be installed on a farm in north Shropshire have been recommended for approval ahead of the final decision by county planners next week.
The proposal from Lightsource Renewable Energy for Hadley Farm on Wrexham Road near Whitchurch will be discussed at the North Planning Meeting on Tuesday.
It comes after plans for two major solar farms were refused by South Shropshire Planning Committee on Tuesday.
The applications involved a 54 acre solar farm at Acton Scott, in South Shropshire, and a 43 acre solar farm at Whitton.
Both had been recommended for approval by council officers.
The 36-acre Hadley Farm farm plan has been supported by Whitchurch Town Council after claims it could power about 1,700 homes and throughout the consultation period received no comments of objections.
The plans also include putting up a security fence and CCTV cameras to protect the panels, which will take about eight weeks to build and produce 6.56MW of electricity.
Many have supported the idea of renewable energy in this form amid concerns over Whitchurch's power supply.
The apparent shortage of electricity has led to large businesses pulling out of the town, including Tension Bolts Ltd, and many have called on the council to do more to help. And the planning officer, in an appraisal statement, said: "The application states that this would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by around 2,900 tonnes each year.
