Solar Farm

The Solar Panel Farm

Background brief:

•      Winchester College is considering installing solar panels on 266 acres around Broadway Lane.  This is the min requirement for a viable return.  A copy of the proposed area is attached.

•      Savills are Winchester College’s land agent.

•      CPRE and SDNP are aware of the plan and will oppose it.

•      EHDC and Denmead PC are aware.

•      What are the health issues.

•      Views from the properties around the area will be ruined as well as the view of the area particularly from the Portsdown Hill direction.

•      Accumulative effects of AQUIND and these panels will be devastating for the rural character of this part of Hampshire.

•      Winchester College has not yet submitted an application to install the solar farm.  When they do it will be to both Winchester and East Hants District Councils.

Jeremy Warren met last Friday with Giles Wordsworth (GW). He is the Rural Director of the Estate Agent Savills, he is employed by Winchester College to look after the College’s rural interests. He reports to the College Bursar. The key bullet points arising from the meeting are listed below:
 
  • Win Col has been targeted, because of its extensive land portfolio, to install sustainable
    energy plants wherever possible and GW’s aim is to do this in the most cost beneficial
    manner. They require to generate 50 megawatts of energy which equates to 266 acres of solar panels, this is approximately the red area on the plan, which is attached here.
  • There is no doubt the proximity of the land to the sub-station makes it the ideal target for solar farm installations.
  • The solar farm project is in its very early stage. The plans are indicative only and do not represent any firm plans as of yet. They will be subject to change.
  • A possible timetable consists of submitting an Application this summer, a consultation period until mid 2021 and if approved, installation to start late 2021. Like all these things it
    could take longer.
  • Application and approval would be at local authority level ie. EHDC and Winchester DC.
  • Win Col would lease the land to the solar panel company for a 25? year period.
  • Health and security issues were discussed but GW said he was not qualified to comment.
  • Win Coll has charitable status and the land shown on the plan is agricultural grade 3, rated Good to Moderate.

If you feel you can contribute to the opposition to this scheme by researching successful actions or by passing this project to other interested parties please do so.