WOKINGHAM residents will give their opinions on a proposed 26 hectare development at an event on Friday, November 18.
The public consultation session at the School Green Centre, Shinfield, is organised by renewable energy developer and operator, Greentech, who are behind the Spencers Wood Solar Farm plans.
According to the Milton Keynes-based company, the site will be decommissioned after 40 years with the land returned to agricultural use.
In a statement posted on the project’s website, Greentech said: “We are keen to hear your views on the scheme as part of our engagement with the local community.
“Once we have received and considered your feedback, a planning application will be submitted to Wokingham Borough Council.”
The proposed Spencers Wood Solar Farm would see the land north of Sheepbridge Court Farm developed into a facility which generates 28 MW of electricity, enough to power 7,200 Shinfield homes.
Greentech is a leading expert in the development and running of photovoltaic (PV) power plants in Europe, operating facilities since the late 2000s and has been committed to the renewable energy generation market, particularly in the UK and Germany.
Its running would see a reduction in carbon emissions by 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
The site is based near Spencers Wood in the parish of Shinfield.
Wokingham Borough Council opened a period of public consultation between October 5-26, with Parish councils and residents voicing their support and concerns for the plans.
Swallowfield Parish Council said: “Swallowfield Parish Council will be sad to see the green gap between Swallowfield and Spencers Wood eroded further and sorry about the loss of category 3B farmland.”
These sentiments were consolidated by Shinfield Parish Council, with clerk Bruce Winton saying it ‘shares the view of Swallowfield Parish Council’.
One resident said they would be happy to see the plans carried out, whereas another laid out their reservations regarding adverse impacts on biodiversity and residents.
The resident explained: “The building of a 26 hectare solar farm will not enhance biodiversity in the area. There are many species including butterflies, bats, deer, badgers and red kites which would have their natural habitat destroyed by this scheme.
“There is evidence that proximity to a solar farm has a negative impact on the value and saleability of property primarily on account of the noise produced by a solar farm.”
Another public consultation participant had concerns about this proposal’s position in the context of wider developments within Wokingham, saying: “The continuous need [to] develop and change the environmental landscape of our villages [is] appalling.
“Will the developers and counsellors of our Wokingham Borough not be happy till its all developed and every inch of green land is concreted over?”
