East Suffolk Council has granted planning permission for the Park Farm Solar Park to British Solar Renewables (BSR), the second BSR project it has approved this year.
The Park Farm Solar Park will have a peak capacity of 21 MW and will be located on a 26.39 hectare site approximately 1.5 kilometers outside Wickham Market, Suffolk. In January this year, BSR successfully secured planning permission for another solar project of similar size in East Suffolk, the Town Farm Solar Park.
Carla Hardaker, development director at BSR said: “These two projects illustrate our commitment to leading the way towards a greener future. We are proud to usher in a new era of responsible renewable energy development – an era that not only generates clean electricity, but also enriches the local ecosystem through ecological improvements.
“Both projects are a testament to BSR’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and community collaboration, and we are excited to make a positive impact together in the fight against the climate crisis.”
Biodiversity in the spotlight
Both the Town Farm Solar Park and the Park Farm Solar Park are planned with biodiversity in mind. Construction work at the projects will include the establishment of native hedgerows and pasture grassland on their sites, which is expected to deliver a net habitat gain of 178% for the Town Farm project and a gain of 106% for the Park Farm project.
Research into biodiversity on solar farms is increasing, with Lancaster University recently working with renewable energy company Low Carbon to conduct an innovative new study into the presence of pollinating insects on solar farms.
Many companies are increasingly concentrating biodiversity in their new and existing solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) developments. One such developer is Queequeg Renewables, which recently partnered with environmental consultancy Biodiverse Consulting to implement enhanced biodiversity measures across five solar and BESS projects.
BSR has learned first-hand the importance of considering biodiversity in planning applications after being forced to resubmit planning applications for two solar projects in West Oxfordshire and Essex to become more compatible with the local environment.
Solar Power Portal’s publisher Solar Media will host the British Solar Summit on June 4 and 5, 2024 in London. The event will explore Britain’s new utility and rooftop solar landscape, look at the opportunities within a GW+ annual market, and much more. For more information, visit the website.