Solar farm plans switched to 'go' (From Bicester Advertiser)
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Solar farm plans switched to 'go'
2:00pm Saturday 9th February 2013 in News By Sam McGregor, covering Bicester. Call me on 01869 250197
James Macnamara
PLANS to build a huge solar farm on a field in North Oxfordshire have been approved.
RS Assemblies Ltd plans to put about 80,262 panels in a single large field at Manor Farm, between Ambrosden and Merton, near Bicester.
The panels will generate electricity for the National Grid.
Currently the land is used for grazing and to grow cereals.
Panels will be mounted on a metal framework and face south at an angle of 30 degrees.
Electricity cables cross the site, and the developers propose to replace them with with underground lines.
No jobs will be created and the site will be monitored by CCTV.
The plan came under fire from one councillor who likened the proposal to an “electricity factory” in the open countryside.
James Macnamara told the meeting last week: “Our policy is against sporadic development in the countryside.
“It’s all very well calling it a farm, but 13 buildings, 80,000 panels, an electricity sub- station and security fencing is no more a farm than this building (the council’s office) is. It’s totally inappropriate development. This is an industrial installation and should be on a site designated for industry. Because it’s Green, we are being asked to approve a electricity factory in the open countryside.
“This is a power station and there’s no other power station that would be allowed in this field.”
Planning officer Bob Dux-bury said it “unwise” to describe the proposal as industrial development.
He said the solar farm would not have any adverse impact on the area, and the type of development was supported “heavily” by the Government.
Cllr David Hughes said: “We all need electricity and we have got to find alternative ways to provide it.
“If we are going to have this, it needs to be where it will not have an effect on local properties.”
Cllr Russell Hurle supported the plan and said the development was discrete and hidden from public view.
Ambrosden Parish Council supported the application provided an “appropriate traffic management” system was in place during the construction period.
No one from RS Assemblies was available to provide more details about the solar farm or when work would start on the development.
Comments(13)
Oflife
says...
4:01pm Sat 9 Feb 13
@lifemachine
MrsRW64
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4:43pm Sat 9 Feb 13
Grunden Skip
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1:39am Sun 10 Feb 13
MrsRW64 wrote:No it's not, it is Greenie pie in the sky lunacy, that will on average get about 6 hours a day sunlight. For real Green and cheap power we need to build more Nuclear plants. And if as you say we need to stop using energy as we do, MRS, you could start by not wasting energy, by not using your computer for follies like your comment. Just a thought.
About time! We cannot keep using energy as we do, this is a clean, Eco friendly way to produce power!
Myron Blatz
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1:55am Sun 10 Feb 13
steve1955
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9:33am Sun 10 Feb 13
Cathena
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10:02am Sun 10 Feb 13
Grunden Skip
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6:38pm Sun 10 Feb 13
Cathena wrote:Yep, a bit like saturated fat, and sugar, one is better than the other, but none of them do you any good.
Better than wind farms.
tomwb1
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6:39pm Sun 10 Feb 13
Simon33
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6:55pm Sun 10 Feb 13
Grunden Skip
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2:41pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Simon33 wrote:Maybe we could bulldoze Jericho and turn it into a Solar Farm, it would have more personality than what is there now.
Excellent news. A real pity the field near Barton could not be another solar farm. Wonder whether the CPRE were sleeping in this case?
steve1955
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3:17pm Mon 11 Feb 13
If we are going to have renewable energy as our main source of supply there must be thousands of these and winfarms across the country each and eveon will be opposed by someone or some group ,decisions need to be made and a clear policy set out,WHEN
Severian
says...
4:27pm Thu 14 Feb 13
steve1955 wrote:Steve
They should put solar panel to power the eco town no other power to be used other thh that generated would be truly green then>
If we are going to have renewable energy as our main source of supply there must be thousands of these and winfarms across the country each and eveon will be opposed by someone or some group ,decisions need to be made and a clear policy set out,WHEN
The Eco town WILL have solar power. Plus a gas fired heating plant, plus mains connected street lights, plus petrol/diesel cars.
It will be SLIGHTLY green.
Myron Blatz says...
2:57pm Sat 9 Feb 13