Lightsource BP to hold community consultation event for Bryn Henllys Extension solar farm proposal

Lightsource BP, a leading developer and operator of solar farms in the UK, will be outlining their proposal to fund, develop and build a 9.9MW solar farm on 65 acres of land near Cwm-twrch Uchaf, Swansea at a community information event on Thursday 1^st August. Lightsource BP is inviting residents from the surrounding area to attend the community information event, where further information will be made available on the proposal.

The community information event will be held in Ystradowen Community Centre, and residents are invited to drop in at any time between 3.30pm – 6.00pm. The Lightsource BP team will be on hand to discuss the planning proposal and gather feedback from the local community.

This proposal is an extension of a consented 20MW solar farm on land at Bryn Henllys Open Cast Mine site, which was approved by the planning committee in June 2018. The applicant for the consented site was Juwi Renewable Energy Ltd, who did not move forward with building the project, and we’re now working with the land owner to bring both sites to completion. The proposed solar farm extension will provide enough additional clean renewable energy power to 2,679 homes, saving 3,372 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of taking 717 large family cars off the roads.

The site is currently grazed by livestock, and the proposed layout for the Bryn Henllys Extension Solar Farm has been designed to provide for continued grazing beneath and between the rows of panels.  Wide grassy avenues will be left between the rows of solar panels, to reduce shading and optimise the amount of sunlight each row of panels receives. This will leave around 70% of the solar farm as open grassland, ideal for grazing livestock, while the panels provide shade, shelter and protection.

As well as generating clean energy and maintaining agricultural use, Lightsource BP is proposing enhancement measures that will make sure the project delivers a net biodiversity gain. A bespoke Biodiversity Management Plan will be developed as part of the planning application to enhance habitat for local wildlife. We will plant new trees and hedgerows, and sow a botanically diverse grassland seed mix, all of which provide favourable habitat conditions for a range of species, including amphibians, small mammals and invertebrates.

The proposed fields have been chosen because they are well-screened by local topography and dense vegetation which would limit any surrounding 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 efficiently and more sustainably.

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 quoting ‘Bryn Henllys Extension’.