School objects to plans for solar farm

ILOS Little Flanchford wants to install panels on a 17-hectare site in Little Flanchford Farm

Plans to build a solar farm that could power more than 5,000 homes have met opposition from a nearby school.

ILOS Little Flanchford wants to install panels on a 17-hectare site in Little Flanchford Farm, near Leigh, and has submitted a planning application to Mole Valley District Council.

The solar farm would have a 40-year lifespan, after which the land would be returned to a natural state.

But Moon Hall School, a specialist school for dyslexic children, said pupil drop-off and collection times could be disrupted, adding there were also concerns over increased risk to flooding and local wildlife.

The developers said the project could enhance biodiversity and that public rights of way across the land would be retained.

According to the developers, the clean energy created by the farm would remove over 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

If approved, the construction is expected to take up to eight months to complete, with work restricted to weekdays between 08:00 and 18:00, with no weekend working.

'Detrimental impact'

The school's bursar, Andrea Owens, wrote: "The school has 200 pupils who all have to gain access to/from the school via car or minibus due to the remote location and lack of pedestrian access at the start and end of every school day.

"The school adopts a carefully managed one-way system for traffic during these times, and therefore, any delays caused due to site traffic will have a detrimental impact on students and their ability to arrive on time."

The consultation into the plans runs until 13 January, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.