Plans for a major solar farm near the sports fields in a growing Somerset village have received initial approval, paving the way for detailed proposals to move ahead.
ILOS New Energy UK Ltd., a London-based developer, submitted a screening request in late January to build a solar farm on land located between Rodmore Farm and the Evercreech Playing Fields on Pecking Mill Road, at the southern edge of Evercreech village.
The proposed solar installation is designed to export up to 5.4MW of electricity, which could supply sustainable power to between 1,000 and 1,600 homes. The project includes landscaping measures around the perimeter to integrate the facility into the local environment.
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Somerset Council has granted the screening approval, allowing the developer to prepare more detailed plans for submission in the spring. Access to the site would utilize the existing entrance at Rodmore Farm, with panels installed on a single field south of the nearby Wessex Water wastewater treatment plant.
Importantly, several public rights of way running through the site will remain accessible, with potential enhancements considered by either Evercreech Parish Council or the council’s rights of way team to improve public access.
The solar farm is expected to operate for 40 years, with a possibility for extension. After this period, all solar panels, equipment, and infrastructure must be removed and the land restored to its original condition.
A spokesperson for ILOS highlighted the project’s environmental benefits, stating that it could include landscape and biodiversity enhancements such as barn owl boxes, bird nesting sites, beehives, log piles, and hibernacula – habitats for reptiles, amphibians, and insects.
The land beneath and between the solar panels would support biodiversity efforts and seasonal grazing, while existing vegetation around the site will be carefully managed to maintain ecological corridors and enhance wildlife habitats.
Notably, another solar farm is already operational within a mile of this site: the Pylle solar farm located by Easton Lane, approved by Mendip District Council in 2015.
Somerset Council, which replaced the district council in April 2023, approved the screening request using delegated planning officer powers. Planning officer Jennifer Alvis noted that while the emerging Somerset Local Plan currently holds limited influence on this decision, future planning decisions will consider up-to-date evidence-based studies underpinning that plan.
More comprehensive proposals are expected to be submitted by early summer, advancing the project toward full planning approval.