Plans for a solar farm and energy storage system in Kelham to be decided by Newark and Sherwood District Council
New plans for a solar farm and battery energy storage system near a Newark-area village are set to be presented to the district council this week.
The proposal, submitted by Assured Asset Solar 2 Ltd, aims to install a solar farm with a generating capacity of up to 49.9 megawatts (MW) and a BESS with a storage capacity of 50 MW.
The site is located on land to the west of Main Street, Kelham, and compromises approximately 65 hectares of agricultural land between Kelham and Averham.
It would include ground-mounted photovoltaic panels, battery storage units, and associated infrastructure, with plans to connect to the grid via Staythorpe Power Station.
The proposal would have a lifespan of 40 years, after which all equipment would be removed from the site and the land returned to its former condition.
The Environment Agency’s Flood Maps confirm the site is predominately Flood Zone One, where there is a low probability of flooding.
However, the site contains isolated areas of Flood Zone Two, where there is a medium probability of flooding, and a small part of the site access would fall within Flood Zone Three.
The site has been identified as a mix of grade two and three agricultural land, which is considered very good and good to moderate respectively, for agricultural purposes.
The site is also located within the setting of heritage assets and on-site archaeological interest.
Averham, Kelham and Staythorpe parish council has objected to the application due to concerns the development will be permanent as panels will be replaced as technology improves; fire risk; solar farm green credentials being questionable and harmful and significant detrimental impact on local landscape character.
Newark and Sherwood District Council also commented that the proposed development harms the special interest of several listed buildings and two Conservation Areas.
This application follows a previous proposal for a similar development in the same area, which was refused by the district council in 2023 due to concerns over landscape impact, loss of agricultural land, and potential effects on local heritage assets.
In response, the current proposal includes revised plans to address these issues, such as enhanced landscaping measures and assessments of heritage and environmental impacts.
Residents were consulted on the application initially in October 2023, which saw in 52 letters submitted, of which 51 were in objection to the plans.
The submission of revised plans in June 2024 saw another 51 letters submitted, with 13 letters of support and 38 letters of objection with objections including the development being too close to the village, decreasing biodiversity and harming wildlife, affecting good agricultural land, and creating an industrial landscape.
The application will be presented for decision by Newark and Sherwood District Council planning committee this Thursday (January 16) at 4pm.
