A CONTRACTOR has been appointed for a new energy producing facility to be built in the borough.
Wokingham Borough Council has chosen Bouygues Energies and Services to be the contractor for a new solar farm on land between Barkham and Finchampstead.
Planning permission for the 29 mega watts (MWp) capacity solar farm was granted in September 2021.
The solar farm could generate 29 mega watts of energy, on a day when conditions are good – the equivalent of the power needed for 8,500 homes.
The council says the solar farm will generate sustainable power within the borough, and that it will bring financial benefits for the public purse.
It says that thousands of new trees will be planted alongside the solar panels as part of the council’s tree project, and that a new greenway route will be installed, to better connect Arborfield, Barkham and Finchampstead to the existing network of rights of way to the north.
As part of the contractor selection process, Wokingham Borough Council says it placed a greater emphasis on the quality and social value inclusions of the tender returns.
It says it wanted to ensure that any company it worked with, as far as reasonable, would ensure that all construction material and equipment would be ethically sourced and not rely on forced labour.
Work will now start on designing the solar farm, with initial survey work starting in the coming weeks, and residents will start to see more activity in and around the site.
It is intended that construction work to install the solar panels will start towards the end of the year.
To find out more about the solar farm, visit: news.wokingham.gov.uk/news/contractor-appointed-solar-farm
