Aura Power has gained planning permission from Cotswold District Council and Wiltshire Council, for the development of a 49.9MW solar farm in partnership with the Bathurst Estate.
Published: 1 Jun 2021, 10:58
By:
It is Aura Power s second utility-scale solar farm to be approved this year, following its Litchardon Cross site near Barnstaple (pictured) being approved in April. Image: Aura Power.
Bristol-based Aura Power has been granted planning permission for a 30MW solar farm at Bishampton, near Pershore, Worcestershire.
The farm will help with Wychavon’s “commendable efforts to become Intelligently Green” said Chris Featonby, UK development manager at Aura Power, with Wychavon District Council working to treble the amount of renewable electricity in the district by 2030.
“During the consultation process we spent a great deal of time engaging with the local community and made substantial revisions to our plans in response to their concerns. Thank you to the council officers, parish and district councillors and statutory consultees for the hard work they put into considering our application. We understand that some people don’t like
John Nettles fights plans to build Devon s biggest solar farm next to his home
The Bergerac and Midsomer Murders star has lived in North Devon for more than a decade
Updated
The video will auto-play soon8Cancel
Play now
Never miss a big story in Devon again with our daily newsletter Invalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.
Sign me up!
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Your information will be used in accordance with ourPrivacy Notice.
Thank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee ourprivacy notice
Actor John Nettles is spearheading a campaign to fight against plans to build the biggest solar farm in the county to date on the doorstep of his Devon home.
Published: 30 Apr 2021, 11:35
By:
The Litchardon Cross site, near Barnstaple in North Devon. Image: Aura Power.
North Devon Council has unanimously approved a planning application for a 49.9MW solar farm to be developed by Aura Power.
The farm, which will be located at Litchardon Cross near Barnstaple, will be built on low-grade land that is currently only good for pasture. It will stay in agricultural use, with sheep to continue to graze around and beneath the panels.
Additionally, the development will include a number of ecological and biodiversity enhancements the company said, including wildflower meadows, new tree belts and hedgerows.
Aura submitted the planning application in July 2020, amidst a surge in activity for the solar sector following the dampened progression due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bristol-based Aura Power has received unanimous approval from North Devon Council’s planning committee for the almost 50MW Litchardon Cross solar farm near Barnstaple in south-west England.
Aura Power expects construction of Litchardon Cross to start at the earliest in Spring 2022 and will notify the local community as its plans progress.
The company said that once built, the project is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 12,700 typical homes a year and save an estimated 15,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The project site also includes a suite of ecological and biodiversity enhancements including areas of wildflower meadows, new tree belts and hedgerows which will deliver a net biodiversity gain of 26% for habitat and 15% for hedgerows.