South Hams District Council have approved plans for what the Design and Access Statement refers to as

A 5 megawatt solar PV farm on 13.24 hectares of grade 3 agricultural land

at Hatchlands Farm between Harberton and South Brent. This site is literally just down the road from the 8 MW solar PV park at Marley Thatch Farm that was approved by South Hams earlier this year.  Here's what the area between South Brent and Totnes currently looks like on our interactive map and list of large scale solar PV projects in South West England:

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I was recently asked if I could provide "any advice to object to [a] proposed solar farm". The solar farm in question is being proposed by Lightsource Renewable Energy on an 11.6 acre site at Higher Knapp Farm near Taunton. The Design and Access Statement provided as part of the planning application states that:

More on Lightsource Seek Permission for a 1.8 MW Solar PV Farm Near Taunton

On July 9th Teignbridge District Council planning committee voted to refuse planning permission for the 40 acre Fulford Solar Park at Gold's Cross Hill near Tedburn St. Mary. In a not entirely unexpected turn of events the developer of that project, Inazin Solar, have now appealed against that decision. Not only that, but they have also simultaneously applied for planning permission for a remarkably similar new project, together with the requisite screening opinion. Consequently there are now three new entries on our interactive map and list of large scale solar PV projects in South West England, all at the same location!

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The Totnes Community Wind Farm is one of a variety of projects that the Totnes Renewable Energy Society (or TRESOC for short) are involved in which address what they describe as:

The critical need for commercially viable, localised renewable energy technologies

The wind farm project has just taken another significant step on it's long road to:

More on Totnes Community Wind Farm Seeks Planning Permission

According to a Royal Bank of Scotland press release last week:

London-based InfraRed Capital Partners Limited, one of the UK’s leading environmental infrastructure investors, has acquired three ground-mounted solar parks in Cornwall with debt financing from a consortium of banks – Royal Bank of Scotland Corporate & Institutional Banking, HSBC Bank Plc and Santander Global Banking and Markets.

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Wessex Solar Energy have applied to Torridge District Council for planning permission to construct what they call the "Beaford Brook Solar Park". The proposed solar farm will occupy 16.4 Ha of land at Upcott Barton near Beaford. According to the design and access statement it is designed to produce 5 MW of electrical power using:

More on Proposed 40 Acre Solar Park near Beaford Seeks Planning Permission

This particular storm has been brewing down here in South West England for quite some time now, but over the last week the debate about the proposed "Atlantic Array" of offshore wind turbines has heated up considerably.  Developer RWE npower renewables are currently engaging in the latest round of public consultations about the wind farm project, which in its current form proposes the construction of  between 188 and 278 wind turbines, each with a maximum output of between 3.6MW and 5 MW, and thus providing a maximum total capacity of 1.39 GW. As RWE themselves point out the proposed location of the wind farm is:

More on Atlantic Array Argument Accelerates

Since our last report on varying opinions concerning the potential environmental impact of the proposed solar PV park at Cofford Farm near Starcross some additional correspondence about the matter has been received by Teignbridge District Council.

More on No EIA Required for the Starcross Solar Farm

Whilst there seems to be much less paperwork showing on the South Hams District Council web site than for similar applications in Teignbridge, the ultimate outcome down there appears to be much the same.  In a delegated decision it has been determined that no environmental impact assessment is required for the proposed 30 acre solar PV park at Hazard Farm near Harberton.

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I've finally managed to check out my theory that the proposed solar PV park at Cofford Farm near Starcross:

Looks as though [it] may well be visible from one of our favourite walks past the Mamhead Obelisk

My theory was indeed correct, and here are a few pictures to prove the point. As I was taking a few snaps of the view from the Mamhead Obelisk at the weekend, several groups of people wandered past. The family pictured were amongst them. The gentleman said that:

More on Some Views on the Impact of the Cofford Farm Solar Park