I wouldn’t normally post a news item for a planning application but this one is fairly significant and I thought it might generate more interest than normal.

A planning application for a solar farm around the electricity sub-station at Upper Stonehill is now being considered by Wiltshire Council with a deadline for comments of 4 June.  The PC is considering its response.  Residents may comment to the PC if they wish to, and may comment direct to Wilts Council also.

The details of the plans are available for all to see at the following link https://planning.wiltshire.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/Generic/StdDetails.aspx?PT=Planning%20Applications%20On-Line&TYPE=PL/PlanningPK.xml&PARAM0=910416&XSLT=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/Wiltshire/xslt/PL/PLDetails.xslt&FT=Planning%20Application%20Details&DAURI=PLANNING&XMLSIDE=  then click on ‘Download Plans and Documents’ in the top right. The planning application number is 20/03528.

This is a significant planning application partly because it will occupy 270 acres.  There is a large volume of documents on the webpage but the simplest picture of what is planned is the item labelled ‘Pv & Storage Layout Plan’ which you can go direct to at https://unidoc.wiltshire.gov.uk/UniDoc/Document/File/MjAvMDM1MjgvRlVMLDEzODc1Mzk=  This shows clearly those areas that will have solar panels on them.

The comment deadline is 4 June but the PC response is likely to be completed well before then so anyone wishing to comment to the PC will need to do so without delay.

MIchael Bromley Gardner – Parish Clerk