Planned solar farm could dwarf small Somerset village

The developer claims the planned solar farm could power 16,000 homes

A small Somerset village could be dwarfed by a new solar farm if plans are approved.

Low Carbon UK Solar Investment wants to build a large new solar farm on the B3109 near Rode.

The new solar farm, dubbed Bluebell Wood, could provide enough power for one-third of all homes in the former Mendip area.

Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the plans early in the new year.

The site lies to the north east of the village on agricultural land on the Somerset-Wiltshire border.

The proposed solar farm would be near Church Farm housing development at the village's southern edge, nearby neighbouring town of Trowbridge, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The developer claims the 74.33-hectare site (nearly 184 acres) will have enough capacity to power 16,000 homes - the equivalent of half the population of Frome.

Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the plans in early 2024

A Low Carbon UK Solar Investment spokesman said: "The site predominantly comprises moderate quality agricultural land, and the proposed development would only temporarily remove around 2.7 hectares (nearly seven acres) of the most viable land from arable agricultural use for the duration of its operational life.

"The government has committed to meeting a legally binding target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This requires major investment in proven technologies, such as solar and wind, which is strongly supported by planning policy at local and national level

"The proposed development would help to address this need by generating clean and renewable energy without the need for subsidies."

If approved, the solar farm and battery storage site will be operational for 40 years - after which time the land will be returned to agricultural use.

Somerset Council and its predecessors have approved numerous new solar farms in the last year - including one on the B3098 to the east of Frome in October 2022.

The council is expected to make a final decision on the proposals in early 2024.