Future of planned solar farm thrown into doubt

Plans for the solar farm were approved in June 2022

The future of a planned solar farm in Leicestershire has been thrown into doubt after a council said it was looking to either sell the land it was set to be built on or lease it to a developer.

Leicestershire County Council gave itself permission in June 2022 to turn farmland on the outskirts of Quorn into a solar farm the size of 30 football pitches.

The authority owns the site at Poole Farm and had intended to fund the solar scheme itself.

Declan Keegan, director of corporate resources for the council, said: "It is still hoped this site will be developed as a solar farm but, if this does not present the best value option for the council, other options will need to be considered."

He added that the council had "not been able to get comfortable" with the financial "risks" associated with proceeding with the scheme itself, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council is seeking to bridge a predicted budget gap of about £100m by the 2028/29 financial year.

The land would be sold or leased with active planning permission for a 55-acre solar farm, which would be expected to generate 9,170MWh of renewable electricity a year, enough to power more than 3,000 homes.

Animals would continue to graze on the site once the solar farm is built, and permission would last for 40 years, after which the panels and associated infrastructure would be removed.