Solar farm proposed for Coventry
Coventry City Council has submitted a planning application for a solar farm, as it looks to continue with its ambition of creating a sustainable zero-carbon city,
The 103-acre site near Lentons Lane is in the Council’s ownership with the land currently used for sheep farming with some crop cultivation.
The council has requested permission to add photovoltaic panels angled in a southerly direction capturing the maximum energy produced by the sun.
Over a year this would be equal to the power needed for the equivalent of 7,650 homes over a year and the annual carbon saving of 7,080 tonnes of CO2 compared to traditional power generation.
Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said: “Climate change presents an enormous challenge that we all have a responsibility to rise to, and Coventry City Council is taking action to tackle climate change through our new draft strategy.
“The proposed solar farm is part of a wide range of initiatives helping deliver our and the city’s climate change ambition. The power it generates will be sustainable, clean, green energy – sensitive to the natural environment. This idea goes hand in hand with our other green projects including plans for Coventry Very Light Rail, improved cycling infrastructure, and our drive to install more on-street charge points. We will be the Uk’s first all electric bus city too, of course.
“There will be local biodiversity gains which include doubling the amount of hedgerow, improving the existing grassland and increasing the amount of existing wildlife habitat by 40%. Additional trees and hedges will be planted to provide screening”.
People living close to the proposed site were previously invited to comment on the proposals at a drop-in session earlier this year and the council says their feedback was taken into account in the submitted application.
