Proposed Solar Farm at land north of Vicarage Lane, Diddington
Introduction
Welcome to the project website for Cell Energy’s proposal to install a 35MW solar farm by Lodge Farm on land north of Vicarage Lane.
Cell Energy’s plan will create enough clean energy to power 10,500 homes a year and over the lifetime of the proposal Cell Energy’s solar farm would save 402,000 tonnes of CO2 from polluting the atmosphere.
On the project website you will be able to read more about the proposal and find out how you can contact the project team to share your view.
About Cell Energy
Cell Energy is a local East Anglian renewable energy provider that specialises in solar and battery storage systems.
They are supported by Equitix, a leading UK investor, developer and fund manager in renewable energy space that has a portfolio of more than 1GW across solar, waste, hydropower and wind throughout the UK.
The site
The site is located by Lodge Farm on land to the north of Vicarage Lane, Diddington.
Rigorous assessments have shown that the site is currently characterised by less than best quality agricultural land that limits crop yields.
The close proximity of a viable grid connection means that disruptive cabling works are not required making the site a suitable place for a solar farm.
The location of the site is already well contained with natural buffers of trees and woodland at Diddington Brook and Jubilee Copse. Nevertheless, Cell Energy’s proposal for new native tree planting, supplementing existing hedgerows and boundary treatments will bolster natural screening to minimise any visual impact.
Securing Britain’s energy supply
The rise in gas prices over the summer revealed the dangers to our economy of overreliance on imports of energy from overseas.
British companies such as Cell Energy are helping the UK to secure its energy supply, reducing our reliance on electricity from abroad, and providing greater energy security and job creation.
Cell Energy’s proposal includes investigating the possibility of a private wire connection to directly provide power for Anglian Water’s nearby water treatment works at Grafham.
The delivery of a solar farm at this site can help power our economy with green energy.
Improving biodiversity
Cell Energy’s proposal for a solar farm will deliver significant improvements to the biodiversity of the site.
The proposal to plant species rich grassland with wildflower margins will create new homes for nature and give a much-needed boost to help Britain’s bees.
The supplementation of existing vegetation and hedgerows will also see native planting delivered as part of the proposal. Cell Energy are also exploring further measures to allow local wildlife to thrive, including new bird and bat boxes and reptile hibernacula.
Community Benefit Fund
Cell Energy is committed to supporting the local community to go green and reap the rewards of solar.
That’s why their Community Benefit Fund will provide financial support to fast track local green initiatives across the district to improve biodiversity and combat climate change.
Cell Energy’s Community Benefit Fund will further allow schools to install green infrastructure as an education tool.
How solar works
Timescales
- Public consultation – Autumn 2021
- Application submission – Early 2022
- Construction (if planning permission achieved): Late 2022 / early 2023
- Clean energy generation: Autumn 2023
Contact
If you have any questions, please e-mail: [email protected]