Consultation to start over plans for solar farm at the Winkburn Estate, near Maplebeck and Kirklington
An online public meeting takes place on Thursday (October 15) over plans for a solar farm.
Lightsourse bp will host the meeting, from 7.30pm, where the proposal will be outlined.
The company hopes to submit plans for a 32MW solar farm on 173 acres of land at the Winkburn Estate, between Maplebeck and Kirklington.
According to the company, the proposed solar farm will provide enough locally-generated, clean renewable energy to power 9,170 homes, saving 9,330 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of taking 2,074 large family cars off the roads.
“Solar energy is not only clean and renewable, but it also generates locally-produced electricity. This makes solar an important part of meeting the global rise in energy demand efficiently and more sustainably, which is a core aspect of Lightsource bp’s sustainability mission," said Penny Laurenson, director of environmental planning and sustainability at Lightsource bp.
"Safety is one of our core values, and in order to keep to the standards of community engagement that we’ve set as a company in the current global situation, we are replacing our physical community consultation with an online question-and-answer session where the local community can obtain all necessary information about our proposals and provide feedback.
"We want to ensure that local communities in and around the proposed location have all the information they need about this project.”
As well as generating clean energy, Lightsource bp solar farms are designed so that they also act as a haven for local wildlife.
A bespoke Biodiversity Management Plan will be developed in conjunction with the planning application, to enhance the site as much as possible for local wildlife.
Lightsource bp is also eager to hear from wildlife enthusiasts and schools who may be interested in playing a role in the ongoing monitoring of wildlife on the site.
The proposed layout for the solar farm at Winkburn Estate has been designed in such a way that most of the open grassland on the site will be suitable for grazing small livestock, allowing the land to retain the potential for agricultural use.
The proposed fields have been chosen because they are well-screened by existing vegetation which would limit any views of the solar farm from the surrounding area.
Residents can dial into the session, via the project webpage https://www.lightsourcebp.com/uk/proposed-projects/winkburn-farm/ or by visiting the following link https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/utpsjryf
The Lightsource bp team will show a brief video outlining the proposals for the project, and will then take questions to answer any queries and get feedback from the community.
Anyone without internet, or unable to join the session, can call 0333 200 0755 or write to the Environmental Planning and Sustainability Team, at Lightsource bp, 7th floor 33 Holborn, London, E1CN 2HU.