Uniper is in the early stages of developing plans for a solar farm on land near Sutton Bonington in Rushcliffe and is now commencing a period of pre-application consultation with the local community and key stakeholders.
The proposed development would be located on approximately 72.9 hectares of land, with around 30 hectares of the site covered by solar panels. The scheme would have a total installed capacity of 71.42 MWp (49.7 MWac), generating enough renewable electricity to power around 15,000 homes each year, contributing to the UK’s transition to lower-carbon energy generation.
Two public consultation events are to be held at Sutton Bonington Village Hall (St Anne’s Lane, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5NJ), where members of the project team will be available to present the proposals and answer questions.
These will take place on:
Wednesday 18 March, 4:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Wednesday 8 April, 3:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Virtual consultation sessions will also take place on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 March, and can be booked via the consultation website: https://uniperuk.consulting/suttonbonington/.
The consultation is open from 11 March until 13 April.
If planning permission is granted, and once operational, there will be a community benefit fund associated with the project.
The proposed solar farm would have an operational lifespan of approximately 40 years, after which the site would be fully decommissioned, and the land reinstated in accordance with planning requirements.
This will all be bordered by secure fencing. The scheme would comprise 115,200 solar modules (620 Wp), with a total installed capacity of 71.42 MWp (49.7 MWac). This is enough to generate electricity to power approximately 15,000 average UK homes each year.*
If approved and constructed, the solar farm would have an operational lifespan of around 40 years. At the end of this period, the site would be fully decommissioned, and the land reinstated in accordance with planning requirements.
The site has been identified following an initial site selection process considering factors such as proximity to a grid connection, landscape and environmental constraints, access arrangements and land availability. Solar farms require relatively flat, well-screened land close to existing electricity infrastructure, and this site was considered suitable for further assessment.
Key aspects of the project could include:
- Solar panels mounted on supports approximately 2.5m in height, allowing them to be angled for efficient electricity generation.
- Vehicle access that avoids construction or maintenance traffic from going through Sutton Bonington village.
- Hedgerow and tree planting is proposed, together with filling up any gaps in the existing hedgerows.
- The establishment of grassland and wildflowers within and around the solar panels to support biodiversity.
- If planning permission is granted and once the project becomes operational, there would be a community benefit fund associated with the solar farm. The proposed contribution would be £1,000 per MW of installed capacity per year.
- The existing Public Right of Way (PRoW) would be retained during operation, although temporary management arrangements may be required during construction and would be agreed in advance with Rushcliffe Borough Council.
The Sutton Bonington Solar Farm project would be located in fields to the east of the village. It will be accessed from Trowell Lane, which runs along the eastern edge of the site. Construction access is proposed via Trowell Lane. This would avoid the need for construction traffic to travel through Sutton Bonington village. A Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) will be submitted as part of the planning application, setting out how traffic will be managed during the construction period.
