Plans for a new solar farm near Welshpool have been submitted to Powys County Council.

The proposed site at the Gaer in Forden would see just over a hectare of land being given to solar panels which would produce a huge amount of electricity annually.

A design and access statement put forward by Roger Parry and Partners said: “The solar array will produce 1,211,321 kWh of renewable energy per annum which will be used to reduce the farming business electricity requirement and export surplus to the national grid”

That energy production is equivalent of that used by 400 households a year.

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Roger Parry confirmed in the statement that the project is part of a farm diversification scheme.

They add: “The business wishes to further improve the sustainability of the farm to ensure they are utilising available resources to provide renewable energy, together with gaining an additional farm income by reducing the reliance on imported electricity and for the future proofing of the business against future raises in electricity tariff.

"The farms proposal is supported by national, regional and local planning policy.”

The new site would see “1,087 kw solar photovoltaic arrays, a generator cabinet set on a small concrete base close to the array and an underground cable installed parallel to the existing access track to connect to the existing export connection."

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In the plans it is hoped that construction of the 1.18 hectare site would take six weeks and that the area which 1mile from the B4388 would have environmental benenfits.

Not only do they claim that the project will produce enough energy to counter 569,273 kg of CO2 emissions per annum they have said that as the land is currently used for grazing and arable, it will help the environment on the site itself too.

“The proposal will be a betterment on the existing site as it will allow the land to be wild flowered and taken out of crop rotation,” the statement accompanying the application adds.