PLANS for a solar farm next to Coffinswell have gone in.
The planning application for Court Barton Solar Farm has been submitted for Coubar Solar Limited by Sirius Planning.
The proposed solar farm is on 25 hectares of agricultural land around 130m north‐east of the village of Coffinswell, 1.5km north west of Barton in Torquay and 3.4km south east of Newton Abbot.
The plans say the solar farm will generate approximately 21MW of electricity, enough to power nearly 6,000 homes per year and offset over 6,300 tonnes of CO2 every year, the equivalent of taking more than 2,400 cars off the road.
The solar farm would be made up of ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays with associated infrastructure including a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) substation, a customer substation, customer switchgear, access, fencing, CCTV cameras and landscaping.
Deer fencing, sympathetic to the area, and infra‐red CCTV (CCTV cameras would operate using motion sensors and would be positioned inward only to ensure privacy to neighbouring land and property).
The site is accessible from Ridgeway Lane which runs along its north‐ western boundary.
The application states the ‘development proposals are based on a thoughtful design process and a sustainable approach to access.’
The applicants say: ‘The South West represents a particularly favourable area for solar deployment because of the high levels of solar irradiation.’
The European protected cirl bunting was confirmed to breed on site during targeted cirl bunting breeding bird surveys.
Bat transect surveys and static detector results indicated that both greater and lesser horseshoe bats use the site, with the latter being more abundant. At least seven other species of bats were also recorded. Bat activity was largely concentrated along the stream and its associate vegetation.
Skylarks were confirmed to breed on site, with eight probable territories registered in five fields.
Six notable bird species were observed using field habitats during the winter, including large flocks of meadow pipit recorded over two surveys. Cirl buntings were observed on all four visits, though all registrations were restricted to hedgerows.
In response to these findings measures have been included in the proposal:
l Nearby compensation land will be secured and enhanced to offset any loss of ground nesting habitat (skylark);
l To avoid disrupting the normal flight behaviour of horseshoe bats, particularly greater horseshoe bats, a 15 metre unfenced margin should be maintained along the central boundary in the valley bottom adjacent to the stream.
l The removal of hedgerows is to be minimised as far as is practicable.
Proposed works is to retain all trees on site.
Coubar Solar Limited says it is committed to engaging with the local community to give residents and other interested parties the opportunity to find out more about the development and express their views.
A website was prepared (www.courtbartonsolar.co.uk).
A virtual public consultation event including a Q&A session was held on June 7 and an online public consultation event on March 7.
Engagement with the local Ward Members and Parish Councils has resulted in feedback being received in relation to community benefit.
In the design and access statement they say: ‘The proposed solar farm has been carefully designed to ensure visibility from outside the application site is reduced as far as possible. The renewable energy will be exported to the Local Distribution Network providing energy to homes and business in the locality. The application site area will total approximately 25ha, within this area the ground cover ratio of the panels is between 40 to 60%. It is expected that it will take six months to build the solar farm.
Alongside generating sufficient renewable energy to power approximately 6,000 local homes, the proposal will provide significant improvement to local biodiversity. This will be achieve through:
A native low growing wild flower grassland seed mix is to be sown in four fields of improved grassland, one arable field, and all other bare areas remaining post‐construction.
A native tussock grassland seed mix is to be sown along designated 10m wide field margins outside the security fence, and along a 15m wide margin occupying the southwest boundary of field 7 outside the security fence.
A 5m wide native wild bird wild flower seed mix is to be sown along designated field margins outside the security fence.
Interested parties will be able to find up to date information on the project website
(https://courtbartonsolar.co.uk/) and contact the project team via online form, email, or pos
The application is on Teignbridge Council’s planning portal with the reference 22/01533/MAJ
The web link is https://publicaccess.teignbridge.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=RGB225PZI8G00