Belltown Power carefully considers agricultural land classification when selecting sites, ensuring that what’s referred to as the best and most versatile (BMV) land is avoided where possible. Solar farms are typically placed on lower grade land, helping to protect prime farmland for food production. Furthermore, there are no suitable brownfield sites close to the agreed grid connection. A significant effort was also made to ensure the site selected would not border large residential areas to keep any visual impact to an absolute minimum for the local community.

Solar farms can support food security in several ways. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has acknowledged that climate change could reduce the stock of high-grade agricultural land by nearly three-quarters by 2050. Climate change is the biggest threat to food security and by delivering more green energy, we can reduce carbon emissions and mitigate against the effects of climate change. To meet the government’s net zero carbon emissions targets, solar farms would have to take up just 0.6% of the UK land area – this is less than the amount land currently used for golf courses.

This is a temporary planning application for 40 years. Due to the nature of the scheme, the land will be designated as greenfield throughout. We will ensure the site is fully decommissioned and returned to its current state, as per the planning permission would allow. The site will not be classed as industrial or brownfield during or after the site has been decommissioned.

We are committed to minimising disruption during the construction of all our renewable energy projects. This site will be accessed by turning off the A370 at Old Weston Road and proceeding towards Puxton. The construction phase is expected to last 6–9 months, with further details outlined in the construction traffic management plan, which will be submitted as part of the planning application.

Yes we do, as there are several practical barriers to the mass rollout of rooftop solar. Firstly, the vast majority of buildings are in private ownership and there is no way to mandate the installation of solar panels. There is also the issue of scale and lack of available grid capacity. To meet national targets, the UK needs to increase its solar output fivefold to reach 70GW by 2035. The UK Warehousing Association has acknowledged that unused warehouse rooftops could generate around 15GW of solar power, with the remainder set to be delivered on sites like Oldbridge Solar Farm.

A community benefit and education fund is a voluntary commitment by a developer to contribute funding that directly supports local communities. This fund, totalling approximately £600,000 will be made available to local community groups, charities and initiatives, helping to deliver projects that benefit residents. The funding can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as improving local facilities, supporting educational programmes, enhancing green spaces or promoting sustainability initiatives. By investing in the local area, the community benefit fund ensures that communities near the development share in its benefits for years to come. 

We are committed to working closely with local communities to shape the fund, ensuring it supports the projects and priorities that matter most to them.  To ensure the funding is used in a way that’s most beneficial for the community we want to be flexible in how and when it is distributed, including offering front-loaded support for projects with high initial investment needs.