Teignbridge District Council have now made their decision on Solar Power Generation's request for a screening opinion concerning a proposed 14 MW solar farm on land at the Ashcombe Estate in the Haldon Hills.  Unlike other recent requests for such opinions, in this case Teignbridge have decided that an Environmental Impact Assessment WILL be required.  They state their reasons for that decision as follows:

More on EIA Required for Ashcombe Estate Solar PV Farm

As we reported recently, Lightsource Renewable Energy have applied for planning permission to build a 10.7 MW solar PV park on a 54 acre site just south of Exeter. Now:

A group of local people who are enthusiasts for renewable energy

have set up a web site with the aim of:

More on Bowhay Solar Farm Locals Launch Information Web Site

Following their community consultation back in June, Lightsource Renewable Energy have just applied to Teignbridge District Council for planning permission for the:

Construction and operation of a 10.7MW Solar Photovoltaic Farm, including ancillary buildings and security system

The application form states they propose to do this on 54 acres of land at Bowhay Farm, Shillingford Abbot. Whilst this may be correct as far as the Royal Mail are concerned, we locals know that the land in question is actually closer to Dunchideock than Shillingford. In fact if I jump up and down at the top of my garden I can just about make out the far corner of the site. If I then walk up to the top of the hill I get an extremely good view of it. Whilst these views are very familiar to me, it seems that the planners at Lightsource are unfamiliar with them, since neither appears in their Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment document.

More on Lightsource Seek Permission for a 10.7 MW Solar PV Farm Near Dunchideock

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:

More on South Hams DC Approves 5 MW Solar Park at Hatchlands Farm near Harberton

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!

More on Inazin Appeal Tedburn St Mary Solar Farm Planning Decision

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

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

Described this time last year by the BBC as "England's western-most Roman town", what is now instead referred to as a "native village" is currently being excavated just outside Ipplepen in South Devon. According to Dr Ioana Oltean from the University of Exeter:

More on Further Excavations at "Roman Town" in South Devon

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