Huge new solar farm plan for land in south Lancaster

The council has submitted its official planning application for a 10,500 panel development at Burrow Beck, just north of Bailrigg Lane, which it says could provide power equivalent to the electrical usage of around 1,300 homes, and offset 80 per cent of its electricity consumption.

Since declaring a climate emergency in 2019, the council has been working to reduce its CO2 emissions.

As part of the commitment to achieve net zero, the council has been carrying out a review of land holdings to determine which parcels could accommodate renewable energy.

The council currently consumes 5GWh (giga-watt hours) of electricity per year, and this is expected to rise considerably by 2030 as the council transitions from fossil fuels to electrically powered heat pumps and vehicles.

Burrow Beck has been identified as a site that could accommodate solar photovoltaics and the council has been developing a proposal to deliver a 4MW (mega-watt) plant consisting of around 10,500 solar panels.

The delivery of the scheme would enable the council to generate around 4GWh of renewable energy per year, saving in the region of 800 tCO2e (tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent) per year.

The council has recently sought views from residents and neighbouring properties on the development.

Respondents supporting the scheme recognised the importance of the project as a factor in helping reduce the consumption of carbon.

However, some asked for further details on the cost implications of the project and funding to understand if the delivery of the project will cost them directly.

Others had concerns about the use of green space for the development in relation to landscape and biodiversity impact, and questioned the implications of the project on the mature trees.

Respondents who live locally are also concerned about traffic implications during construction.

A new council report says funding for the scheme will be via capital borrowing. The council envisages that there will be no council tax implications arising from this scheme. The site will generate income from the

sale of electricity to the grid. This is anticipated to offset any costs associated with the delivery and ongoing management of the site.