A meeting is to take place this evening (Tuesday 11th December 2012) at Lowestoft Town Hall to discuss proposals to build three solar panel farms comprising in excess of 197,000 solar panels.
Lowestoft
(image credit: Spiterman)
All three farms are situated in north Suffolk and it is members of the development control committee of Waveney District Council who are to meet to talk about the three bids that have been submitted for consideration and approval.
The three applications are in respect of 50,376 solar panels on a solar farm that is located at Mill Lane, Wissett, near Halesworth producing 12.3MW, 45,000 solar panels on a solar farm that is situated at what used to be Holton Airfield, also near Halesworth producing 11MW and the largest with 101,640 solar panels on a solar farm that is based at Benacre Road, Ellough, that is near to Beccles producing 30MW.
The latter application at Benacre Road, Ellough had initially been proposing to cover an area of 150 acres but Lark Energy, who submitted the application, decided to reduce the proposed development by 24 acres following concerns raised by local residents. It is expected that tonight’s committee meeting will approve the amended proposal with the site being in situ for 25 years subject to certain criteria such as agreeing times when lorries are permitted to arrive and leave the solar farm and also improve the access situation.
The Holton Airfield site, if approved for 26 years that it is recommended to be, but subject to certain conditions, will be utilised by the processing factory of Bernard Matthews with excess electricity being transferred to the National Grid.
The family of Peter Aldous, who is MP for Waveney, own the land at Mill Road, Wissett. The decision on this application seems to depend upon an archaeology report that had been required in relation to the site with a recommendation being made verbally by the council expected this evening.
