Green light for Torbay Hospital's £3.1m solar park plans

Councillors have approved plans to build the solar park

Plans to power Torbay Hospital with a £3.1m solar park were approved by councillors on Monday.

A planning committee on the town's council voted to allow the application, which will sit on a disused landfill site called Nightingale Park.

Once installed it will see the hospital powered by renewable energy fed to the site by an underground cable.

Councillor Swithin Long said it would help the area achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

The cabinet member for economic regeneration, tourism and housing said that changing the way homes and businesses were powered was "key" to achieving the goal - which was declared in 2019.

"This scheme is a positive step towards us achieving that target," he said.

"Power generated by these solar panels means Torbay Hospital will become of the greenest hospitals in the country."

Once built, the 3.9 hectares of solar panels will provide 3.2 megawatt peak of power and will last for approximately 25 years.

As well as creating green energy, the council said that the project will generate quality, well-paid jobs in design, construction and maintenance.

The scheme will also improve Nightingale Park including upgrades to its paths and the natural habitat for wildlife.

Procurement of a contractor to carry out the work will now take place with work starting towards the end of this year, the council said.

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Adrien Cooper, from Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, welcomed the "important step forward".

He added: "This sustainable energy source would contribute to our organisation's green plan and increase the amount of renewable energy we use, which will bring benefits to our local communities.

"The NHS nationally has committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions, and it is green initiatives and innovations like this that will help us achieve our ambitions."