Community Event Held for New Kirkby Fleetham Solar Farm

Lightsource BP, a leading developer and operator of solar installations in the UK, will be outlining their proposal to fund, build and operate a 49.9MW solar farm on 231 acres of land at South Lowfield Farm, Lowfield Lane, Kirkby Fleetham, North Yorkshire DL7 0SY, at a community information event on 12th June 2019. Lightsource BP is inviting residents from the surrounding area to attend the community event, where further information will be made available on the proposal.

The community information event will be held in Kirkby Fleetham Village Hall, Village Green, Kirkby Fleetham, DL7 0SA, and residents are invited to drop in at any time between 4pm and 6.30pm. The Lightsource BP team will be on hand to discuss the planning proposal, and gather feedback from the local community.

The proposed solar farm would generate clean and renewable energy that would power 12,929 homes, saving 16,275 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of taking 3,463 large family cars off the roads.

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 created in conjunction with the planning application, to enhance the boundaries of the site for local wildlife. We will be incorporating native species into our planting and seeding in order to enhance habitats around the edges of the site. Lightsource BP is eager to hear from wildlife enthusiasts and local 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 South Lowfield Farm has been designed in such a way that most of the open grassland between the panels will be suitable for grazing small livestock, allowing the land to retain the potential for agricultural use.

The fields which are proposed to house this project have been chosen because they are well-screened by the local topography and existing vegetation, so the surrounding area will have only limited views of the solar farm.

Conor McGuigan, Director of Business Development for Europe, Lightsource BP said:

“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, without contributing to further carbon emissions and climate change.

We want to ensure that local communities in and around the proposed location have all the information they need about this project. We’re holding this information event to speak to elected representatives, local businesses and residents of the local community, and to gather feedback. This event is also a great way for the community to ask any questions they may have about the project or solar energy in general.”

Residents can obtain further information on the project, at any time, by getting in touch with the Lightsource BP team via info@lightsourcebp.com.