Plans for 112 acre solar farm unveiled in Somerset

The plan that would see solar panels installed across 13 fields is in the pre-application phase

Proposals for a 112 acre (45.5 hectare) piece of farmland to be used for solar panels have been unveiled.

Pathfinder Clean Energy's plan would see solar panels installed across 13 fields, between the village of Paulton and Midsomer Norton, Somerset.

It is expected to generate 26 megawatts (MW), which is just over 10% of the 300MW Bath and North East Somerset needs to reach carbon net zero.

The plan is currently in the pre-application phase.

Sheep grazing

In a letter, Pathfinder stated: "The solar arrays will generate electricity during daylight hours, which will be fed into the local distribution network for use in homes and businesses on the network."

The panels would strand 9.8ft (3m) off the grass, with the company adding that during operation, they intend for sheep to be allowed to graze beneath them.

"[This is] in order to manage field growth and therefore will retain an agricultural use throughout its operation," they told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The solar farm is currently planned to run for up to 40 years, with the site to be returned to agricultural use at the end of the development's operational life.

"Hedgerows, field margins and trees will remain largely unaffected and therefore habitats for bats and many species of birds will not be disturbed," the firm said.

They said hedges would "mostly screen" the solar farm from view, with battery storage on the site meaning power generated at periods of low demand could be stored and fed into the National Grid at peak times.

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