Solar farm proposed for Isle of Wight

Published by

Sam Pither

Plans have been submitted to build a 27 hectare solar fam on the Isle of Wight.

Homes on the Isle of Wight may have a new source of renewable energy if plans put forward by Oxfordshire’s Ridge Clean Energy, and Hampshire's BCM are given the go-ahead.

The new Sunny Oaks Renewable Energy Park would produce around 21,450 MWh of renewable energy per year - enough to power around 5,150 homes – for the next 40 years.

The solar panels would sit behind Butterfly World, Park Road and Fattingspark Copse, linking up to the national grid at Wootton Common substation.

The final proposed layout for the site. Source: Isle of Wight Council planning applications.

The land is currently used for livestock grazing between July and October by Briddlesford Lodge Farm.

Alongside the solar panels, a battery storage facility would be constructed to store excess energy during. Secured with fencing and CCTV cameras, wildlife access points would be created to minimise habitat disruption.

If accepted, the solar farm could go live by 2024.

In the Design and Access statement submitted as part of the application, Hampshire and Oxfordshire-based planning agents BCM say the site is “strategically located.”

Meanwhile, the landscape and visual impact statement states that “after a 15-year establishment period” the site would provide “a net biodiversity gain of over 30 per cent”.

Featured image source: Isle of Wight Council planning applications.

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.