Cornwell Solar Farm

Background: 

Cornwell solar farm is a 67 hectare site of Grade 3b farmland within South Oxfordshire.  The county council had declared a target to be a carbon neutral district by 2030. The developer, Low Carbon, wanted to develop a solar photovoltaic farm that would operate for 40 years and provide clean, renewable energy for over 15,000 local homes.

Challenge:

As the site was farmland, the planning application required the scheme to demonstrate how habitats would be protected, to prevent an impact on the biodiversity and to minimise landscape and visual impacts. The planning application also needed to include the associated infrastructure such as inverters, substation compound, security cameras, fencing, access tracks and landscaping.

DWD services:

The solar planning team at DWD provided the expert planning advice and project management required to take the project from the pre-app and consultation stages through to the grant of planning permission which required careful negotiation with the SODC and technical consultees. The planning application was supported by an Environmental Statement and the team was required to address a number of sensitive landscape and heritage issues.

Benefits:

The Cornwell Solar Farm  will generate enough renewable power to provide over 15,000 homes in South Oxfordshire while achieving a biodiversity net gain.  The scheme will help to meet national and local objectives for reducing carbon emissions and reducing reliance on fossil fuels