Plans revealed for a solar farm the size of 78 football pitches on farmland at Tyler Hill in Canterbury

Plans are in the works for a solar farm the size of 78 football pitches on farmland near the village of Kent.

Green energy company Renewable Connections Ltd has announced it is “exploring the potential for a solar farm” and energy storage facility in fields north of Tyler Hill, near Canterbury.

It was proposed to create eight farmlands near the village. The area could cover 56 hectares of land.

The website for the Britton Court solar farm says it would produce 38 megawatts (MW) of energy, equivalent to the “annual energy needs of up to 15,164 homes”.

Solar farms with a capacity of 50 MW and above are treated as “infrastructure projects of national importance” for which permission must be granted by the central government, not local authorities.

Plans for Britton Court also include a 30MW battery storage facility which will be used to store energy produced by the solar farm.

Battery storage facilities have been controversial due to concerns that they could catch fire.

In February, Swale Borough Council’s planning committee voted down a plan to manage battery safety at a 150MW storage facility at the Cleve Hill solar farm, near Graveney, one of the largest in the UK.

Swale councilors and residents cited safety concerns over the management of the fire in the area.

But the developers appealed, and in July the government’s planning inspectorate ruled that the authority had voted incorrectly and awarded damages that will cost the authority thousands of dollars.

Renewable Connections’ website says: “Our plans are still in the development stages, so our project proposals will evolve as we gather local information and take into account the results of our environmental assessments.”

A formal planning application has not yet been submitted.

A public exhibition of the plans will be held on Tuesday, October 8 from 3pm to 7pm at St Stephens Community Centre, Tenterden Drive, Canterbury.

Renewable Connections Ltd. is also behind the Mathurst Solar Farm – a proposed 18MW solar farm located between Staplehurst and Tunbridge Wells.

The development plan application for the Mathurst site was submitted to Maidstone Borough Council in July this year and is still awaiting a decision.

Phil Hale, chief operating officer at Renewable Connections, said: “We believe the proposed Britton Court solar farm is in an advantageous location given its natural cover, ideal topography and proximity to local grid infrastructure in Herne Bay.”

“If approved, the solar farm could make a significant contribution to meeting the energy needs of Kent and the UK, providing green energy to up to 15,000 homes a year.

He added: “Solar is a very passive technology and one of the cleanest and cheapest forms of energy available.”

It is planned that the facility will operate for up to 40 years before being removed.

Councilor Steph Jupe (Lib Dem), who represents the area on the City Council, said: “I want to feel positive about this scheme.

“Solar energy is clean, we need more clean energy.

“The benefits for wildlife around the panels are obvious.

“The land can still be used for farming and the soil will be rich once the panels have completed their life cycle.

“The concerns that may arise are around energy storage, so I will be listening closely to the concerns and the developer to see if they can be addressed.”

A company spokesman said they intend to submit a planning application this winter, which means that if approved and all goes to plan, construction could begin in late 2025 and the farm would be operational in 2026.