Help us reach our campaign target: Become a member
The Bristol Cable

Huge solar farm on green belt near Frampton Cotterell set for green light this week

Vast site on farmland just north of Bristol could power almost 15,000 homes, according to developers.

Image of a barn at Perrinpit Farm, Frampton Cotterell, which would become a bat house (Image: Perrinpit Road Solar Ltd/Savills)

A barn at Perrinpit Farm, Frampton Cotterell, which would become a bat house under plans to create a huge solar farm (Image: Perrinpit Road Solar Ltd/Savills)

Reports

A vast solar farm in the green belt north of Bristol that would power almost 14,500 homes with clean electricity is likely to receive planning permission later this week.

South Gloucestershire Council planning officers are recommending that councillors approve proposals for the panels, substation, security fencing and other infrastructure spanning 90 hectares at Perrinpit Farm, near Frampton Cotterell.

The site would revert back to farmland after 40 years, if the project gets go-ahead from the development management committee on Thursday, 15 September.

South Gloucestershire is the only local authority in the Bristol area not to have postponed its meetings during the national mourning period following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September.

Frampton Cotterell Parish Council and 26 residents have written letters in support of the new solar farm. Meanwhile 16 householders have objected, with concerns including the impact on wildlife and loss of the green belt.

A report to members said: “It is considered that the public benefit from the provision of the solar farm outweighs any residual harm to the listed buildings, the landscape character of the area and the harm to the greenbelt.”

It added that the plans include new landscaping, biodiversity enhancements and public rights of way improvements.

Carbon saving claims

The report said the 50 megawatt ground-mounted solar farm would save almost 26,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, with all electricity generated feeding into the National Grid.

It said improvements had been made to the scheme since it was originally submitted last year.

These include removing two fields with the best agricultural land from development, new wildflower planting under the overhead power lines to provide a “biodiversity corridor”, more hedgerows, tree planting and an existing barn being turned into a bat house.

A map showing the location of the proposed solar farm would be at Perrinpit Farm (Image: South Gloucestershire Council)

“Existing public rights of way are proposed to be upgraded with improved signage and gateways, which can be used by both horse riders and pedestrians,” the report said.

South Gloucestershire Council’s conservation officer has raised concerns about a degree of harm that would be caused to a number of Grade II listed heritage assets on the farm but officers conclude this would be outweighed by the contribution to net zero targets.

They say the visual impact would be limited.

The application has been submitted by Perrinpit Road Solar Limited, a joint venture between multinational renewable energy firm BayWa r.e. and Grϋne Energien Solar, a solar farm specialist based in Germany that has developed a number of UK sites.

The new solar farm would sit 300 metres north-west of Frampton Cotterell in open countryside, straddling Perrinpit Road to the east of the B4427 Old Gloucester Road and west of the B4058 Bristol Road.

The report said: “The applicant has stated that a Community Benefit Fund would be provided in order to support local projects so that the local community can derive direct benefits from the power generated by the scheme.”

Comments

Report a comment. Comments are moderated according to our Comment Policy.

  • Amazing peak insanity.
    Covering up FARMLAND for solar panels?
    Really???
    What will sustain life?
    Food or solar panels?
    I noted in the article the proposed solar install will “power 15k homes” (we will ignore that these numbers are always exceptionally optimistic, with the reality being like a sad deflated baloon)….

    But…

    How many homes can be fed from fresh healthy produce from this fatmland being destroyed to charge phones, watch tv and run electric lights?
    (when you should be sleeping)

    Reply

  • Why teach children about being eco-friendly and to enjoy wild flowers, butterflies, the birds and the bees then blot out a huge area of beautiful natural countryside?
    If this goes ahead it will be nothing less than a vast blot on the landscape!

    Reply

  • Just that start after these solar panels are decommissioned they will develop the land and turn Frampton Cotterell/Winterbourne into a city.
    A proposal put in place in the 70s……. It’s only a matter of time .

    Reply

Post a comment

Mark if this comment is from the author of the article

By posting a comment you agree to our Comment Policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related content

‘We need people to step up now’: the Bristolians working to save cricket from climate change

Cricket's past is tangled with colonialism, a key root of climate change. Now, it's the pitch sport most at risk from global heating – but a group based in Bristol are working to highlight the threats and protect its future.

People power: how can community electricity grids help tackle the energy crisis?

A small-scale ‘microgrid’ scheme in Lawrence Weston is helping a group of Bristol homeowners take power into their own hands – but how can we supercharge community energy projects to benefit everyone?

This week in Bristol: Airport expansion granted by High Court – but campaigners vow to fight on

Expansion would see the airport increase its capacity from 10 million to 12 million passengers per year.

This week in Bristol:  Lawrence Hill gets a ‘Lido’

Someone changed the name of the Lawrence Hill roundabout on Google Maps this week, after more than two months of flooding.

Councillors sign off 20-year deal aimed at decarbonising Bristol’s energy networks

Councillors this week approved the two-decade City Leap partnership, paving the way for hundreds of millions of pounds to be invested into heat networks, retrofit and other renewable technologies in Bristol.

Bristol Airport expansion appeal decision pending. Win or lose, campaigners are making an impact by playing the long game.

The Cable was in court for the latest chapter in the long-running legal saga, and joined Bristol Airport Action Network for a drink when all was said and done.

Join our newsletter

Get the essential stories you won’t find anywhere else

Subscribe to the Cable newsletter to get our weekly round-up direct to your inbox every Saturday

Join our newsletter

Subscribe to the Cable newsletter

Get our latest stories & essential Bristol news
sent to your inbox every Saturday morning