Lancaster University solar farm near M6 ‘could power 3,000 homes and save thousands of tonnes in emissions’

The university hopes to build a solar farm on 21 hectares (around 50 acres) of land east of Hazelrigg Lane and bordering Proctor Moss and the River Conder. The edge of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is 1km away,

The solar farm would operate for some years than then the site would return to farm use. The plan includes a study of possible sunlight glare to M6 traffic, local homes and people outdoors on the Bowland fells.

The Hazelrigg Lane site is owned by the university, which has its main campus on the other side of the M6. The land is currently open countryside, mainly fields with hedgerows, a barn and a former hole previously belonging to Forrest Hills Golf Club. It is mainly used for grazing animals but there are some areas of woodland in the centre and edges.

Planning officers at Lancaster City Council are recommending councillors to approve the application at the next planning committee meeting on Monday, February 28.

Both Lancaster University and Lancaster City Council have declared climate emergencies in recent years and set-out targets to move to cleaner energy generation, cut emissions from fossil fuels such as gas, petrol and diesel, and promote more energy-efficient buildings.

The city council is keen to see new green energy developments for environmental reasons, and also to see local businesses and workforce skills develop around green technology, engineering and construction.

Potentially, new jobs, expertise and investment could emerge locally linked to solar, wind and sea tidal projects in the district or elsewhere. A key site elsewhere in the district is Heysham Gateway, a former oil refinery site, which is earmarked for regeneration and new businesses investment with a focus on low-carbon, energy and transport sectors, and located close to the port of Heysham.

Regarding the solar farm plan, three objections have been sent to the city council by residents, plus one from Quernmore Parish Council. Other queries. rather than objections, have been raised about topics such as possible glare from the solar panels to traffic on the M6, loss of farmland, flooding, whether the green energy will be available to homes or businesses outside the university, how the panels will be disposed of and what the land will be classed as after the solar farm has stopped operating.

However, Ellel Parish Council supports the application and Scotforth Parish Council has no objections.

A report to councillors states: “The proposal is to install a solar farm consisting of dual facing photovoltaic (PV) panels arranged in

rows fixed to the ground that will not move to track the sun. The solar farm will be capable of generating 16.5MW of power, which is equivalent to powering 3,125 four-bed homes and would save approximately 2,654 tonnes of CO2 emission annually. This is the equivalent to 600 average cars being taken off the road.

“The panels will connect to inverter stations and then to a substation on the site through underground cabling. The electricity produced will feed into the university campus through a dedicated private connection. The panels will be arranged in rows 8. 7metres in length with three metre gaps between each row. The remainder of the site, as well as between and beneath each of the rows of panels will be retained as grassland.

”The panels have a maximum height of 1.75m from the ground level with the lower edge of the panel being 60cm from ground level. Seven inverter stations will be positioned throughout the site. These will be green containers approximately 2.5 metres wide, six metres long and 2.5 metres high. A substation is also proposed, which consists of a stone-faced building with a slate roof."

The report adds: “Lancaster University declared a climate change emergency and announced its aim to become carbon neutral by 2035 through the delivery of a range of renewable energy projects. The city council also declared a climate change emergency in 2019, which sets out its ambitions for activities to be net-zero carbon by 2030.

“The council recognises the important role it can play through the planning system, in the delivery of appropriate renewable energy projects. The council is also undertaking an immediate Local Plan review in order to incorporate some of the actions and directions of the council’s climate emergency declaration, which will lend support to appropriate large-scale solar projects, consistent with national guidance.”

The land is not classed as the most fertile, the report states. However, it is still an important area. A landscaping plan proposes that the solar power scheme will keep and enhance existing hedgerows across the site and will provide significant amounts of additional planting, which will lead to biodiversity improvements in-line with planning guidance.

The report adds: “It is understood that development of this type will be temporary and fully reversible. So the expectation is that there would be no adverse effects following decommissioning on the land’s capability for agriculture.

“There is a presumption in favour of sustainable development in planning policies. These actively supports proposals for renewable and low carbon energy schemes. So the proposal is acceptable in principle, subject to issues relating to landscape and visual impact, amenity, ecology, and flood risk and drainage.”

To minimise visual impact, solar panels are to be kept away from the highest land. Stone and slate will be used for the substation, in keeping with local architecture.

Regarding the potential impact of reflected sunshine glare effecting the vision of drivers on the M6, the report says road-users would not in practice experience reflections due to the land, hedges and trees. National highways authorities had raised some concerns about access to the site to make any changes needed to avoid glare, if needed, However the university owns the land so has access to make any changes including maintenance of trees, hedges and planting.

The site is not in a high risk food zone and is not seen as particularly important for water animals or birds, compared to other stretches of water, ponds or the coast around Morecambe Bay, the report adds.

In summary, planning officers say the solar farm would create some negative effects but the clean energy benefits would far-outweigh any problems. In addition, the solar farm will not harm Morecambe Bay natural habitats and the fields can go back to farm use in the future.