Plans to build large solar farm filed

Plans have been unveiled to build a new solar farm that would power tens of thousands of homes and create hundreds of jobs.

Proposals to develop 193 acres (78 hectares) of agricultural land at High Barns Farm, on either side of Coal Lane near the village of Elwick, have been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council.

If Enviromena Project Management UK’s application is approved, it could provide electricity to almost 26,000 homes a year and create 375 jobs.

The investment is to be carried out over a period of 40 years and its aim is to provide “a reliable source of clean, renewable energy for the National Power Grid”.

An application submitted to the council’s planning department envisages the construction and operation of a grid-connected photovoltaic farm.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the plant would have a capacity of 49.9 MW and a 25 MW energy storage system.

The planning statement supporting the development outlines how it will save the equivalent of 14,500 tonnes of CO2 a year compared to fossil fuel sources.

The planning documents added: “There is a significant and urgent need for renewable energy projects to support the UK’s transition to a low-carbon, smart energy system.

“The government believes solar energy is key to achieving net zero emissions and will meet a significant proportion of the UK’s energy needs in the future.”

The proposals note that as the application is for a temporary period of 40 years only, “at the end of the useful life all infrastructure will be removed and the site restored” to its current condition.

A decision on the proposal is expected to be made in November.

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