Developers Windel Energy are seeking permission to build a 2,238ac solar farm on predominantly arable agricultural land between Lincolnshire and Rutland, England.

If green lit, the Mallard Pass Solar Farm, with a size equivalent to 1,400 football pitches, will be one of the largest developed in the UK and will power the equivalent of 92,000 households, according to its developers.

The proposed solar farm will connect to the national grid and will have mitigation measures to address the impacts of the project and ecological enhancements and opportunities for improved recreational access by the local community.

However, having decreased the original area for the solar development following stage one, the stage two statutory consultation has now launched and will run until 4 August 2022.

Land retained

An action group set up in response to the large solar farm plans says it shouldn’t be put on productive agricultural land.

The solar farm is proposed to have a total area of approximately 906ha and the solar PV site equates to approximately 463ha of this, which is “predominantly arable agricultural land” of “mostly cereals with arable break crops”.

On its website, the Mallard Pass Solar Farm says: “Around 420ha of the site area will be for ecological mitigation and enhancement or retained as woodlands, hedgerows and agricultural land.”

An environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the proposed farm says that the 463ha solar PV site comprises of 37 agricultural fields and blocks of nonancient woodland.

Where arable land is replaced with hard standing [panels], this represents a minor loss in terms of ecological value

“The only substantial loss of habitats will be as a result of arable land, which is of site value, being replaced with PV arrays and associated infrastructure.

"Where arable land is replaced with hard standing [panels], this represents a minor loss in terms of ecological value and extent and is likely to be an adverse effect of significance at a site level only which is not significant.

“Permanent grassland underneath the PV arrays and wildflower grassland in other areas will be delivered as part of the proposed development, which is likely to be an overall beneficial effect at a district level and not significant,” it said.

Farm impact

On the potential effects of the proposed development on farms during the construction, operation and decommissioning of the solar farm, the EIA said: “There is potential for adverse short-term effects on farm businesses and enterprises as a result of construction, such as closure or severance of field accesses at key times of the farming year.”

Overall, the EIA says: “There will be changes to farming practices. Arable farming underneath the [solar panels] will be unlikely, but grassland farming and biodiversity land management will occur.

“The preliminary view is that the effects on farm businesses, which operate wider holdings beyond the areas contained within the solar PV site, are not anticipated to be significant.”

Lifetime

Windel Energy is not seeking a time limited permission for the proposed solar farm. The operational life of the energy development has not been specified within its application.

However, the environmental assessment said “it is recognised that the electrical infrastructure will have an operational lifespan, after which it will need to be replaced or removed”.

“For the purposes of the assessing decommissioning with the EIA, it has been assumed that the proposed development has a 40-year operational life span and decommissioning is anticipated to take approximately six to 12 months,” the EIA said.

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