We were asked if “Stargoose” originated from an Atari computer game developed in nearby Cambridge. We did not know so we did some research and discovered that Stargoose is the name of one of the fields on the Childerley Estate, and according to our research, this field would have originally been named “Starve Goose”, meaning the ground is so poor a goose would starve if it had to live off it! We are not sure then if Peacocks, another name for one of the fields, means that a peacock couldn’t live off that field.
Whilst the previous proposal bisected the bridleway, our proposal does not. The footpaths and the bridleway will remain in situ adjacent to the solar farm site. To screen the site from walkers and horse riders, the existing hedgerow will be reinforced and a new woodland area will be planted. We are also in touch with the British Horse Society County Access & Bridleways Officer about the bridleway and what else we can do to ensure the safety of horse riders.
All existing vegetation around the site will remain. We will also be reinforcing the hedgerows and planting a new small woodland area. In addition, our ecologist is in the process of setting out a detailed habitat and biodiversity improvement plan for the site itself and for the land which will be left undeveloped.
The research and our experience indicate that solar farms, if managed properly, can have a positive impact on habitats and biodiversity. Biodiversity audits conducted on solar farms show that if managed properly, solar farms can have a positive impact on biodiversity and habitat provision, flood mitigation, carbon storage, soil erosion mitigation and increased pollination rates.
Construction traffic will access the site from the south from the A428. Once operational, almost no traffic will be generated and access will be from Battle Gate Road.
During construction, there may be some disturbance on some days. This won’t last long and our aim is to keep it to a minimum, including restrictions on working hours. Most deliveries will be completed in the first eight weeks of the construction period. The arrangements and requirements for Construction Traffic will be set out in a Management Plan and agreed with South Cambridgeshire District Council before construction commences.
A management plan will be agreed with the Council in advance, which will include details of how you can contact us in the event of a problem.
The potential for contamination from the solar energy farm is very low. The only equipment that contains potentially hazardous materials is the industry standard electrical equipment in the HV and battery compound. The risk of toxic chemicals being released from this equipment is very low because protection and pollution prevention measures are incorporated in the design of the HV and battery compound.
The solar energy farm will connect to UKPN’s pylon number 58. This pylon is located to the west of Battle Gate Road by Little Grove. The cable will be an underground cable and this will require digging under Battle Gate Road by directional drilling.
It is not expected that the solar farm will interfere with the existing historic land drainage system because the supporting frames for the solar arrays are pile driven. Any run off will therefore drain to the existing ditches as it does today.
There would be a deer fence, which would typically be around 2.2 metres in height and will be positioned around the solar farm arrays. Where electrical equipment is sited on the western edge the fencing will be palisade fencing. This is required for safety reasons as the equipment in the compound is high voltage electrical equipment.
The land will be leased from the landowners for the duration of the solar energy farm.
Solarcentury is not an electricity supplier and has no control over electricity prices.
Solar and wind have similar benefits – no cost to operate, the energy will not run out and they do not generate any emissions when operating. Biomass, another growing source of renewable energy generation, can result in emissions from the biomass plant and also requires the transportation of feedstocks, sometimes over long distances.
Solarcentury considers that the site is well suited to a solar energy development and that the project can be designed, constructed and operated in such a way as to overcome the previous concerns. In addition, we consider that with additional benefits, such as habitat and biodiversity improvements, any harm can be outweighed.
The project is in line with both national and local planning policy.
When proposing a solar farm, consideration is given not only to whether land is available and suitable but also its proximity to existing electricity infrastructure. In addition, that infrastructure must have the capacity to transmit and distribute the electricity generated. Much of the UK grid is now full and does not have any capacity. The Stargoose site is however close to an overhead line that does have the capacity and that is why a solar energy farm project is being proposed on this site.
The site is a mixture of agricultural land grades. There may be alternative sites that are available of a lower agricultural grade, but they are not in suitable locations as there is no possibility of a grid connection.
No. The site represents only a small percentage of land currently used for arable production in Cambridgeshire.
The lease of the site requires Solarcentury as the leaseholder to return the site to the landowners in the same condition as when it was taken over.
Climate change is a significant environmental issue and cleaner electricity is considered to be a climate action that can be delivered in a relatively short timescale. As a result, the UK has a net zero target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. Renewable energy has a major role in achieving that target.
A Landscape Plan and an Ecological Plan are being drawn up and will set out the management plan. The main objectives of these plans will be habitat and biodiversity improvement and mitigation of the visual impacts.
It is recognised that there are already a number of other solar projects in Cambridgeshire both operational and under development, including a large-scale project near the A11. The cumulative impact of this project on the local environment is minimal as there are no other solar projects in the vicinity either operational or proposed.
The site will return to agricultural use. Where possible, all equipment will be recovered for either re-use or recycling.
The battery energy storage system is located close to a belt of trees. In addition, it will be screened with timber fencing and new planting. As a result, it is unlikely to be visible from any nearby public viewpoints.
Yes. There may be views of the site from the second-floor rooms immediately facing the site, but these views will be filtered by trees.
An agricultural report will accompany the planning application. This report will address the potential for soil erosion and the benefits to the soil.
PV technology is improving all the time and since 2015 there have been great strides in solar module production technology as well as efficiency improvements. Further technological improvements would not prevent the solar panels and associated equipment from being upgraded over the course of the lifetime of the solar farm.
Solarcentury will update this website with key information soon after the planning application is submitted.
There are likely to be opportunities during the construction phase.
The local councillors have been kept in touch with progress of our proposals but no formal engagement with the local Council has taken place yet.
Yes, when the Council consults on the planning application.
Anybody carrying out preparatory work on this project is following the latest Government guidelines. Most of our team are currently working from home and those who can’t will be following social distancing guidelines.
We have been advised that ecologists and environmental professionals have received dispensation from DEFRA to continue with outdoor work, including ecological surveying and supervision, as long as they follow Public Health England guidelines. Work that does not require travel, such as desk-based surveys and report writing, will be completed from home where possible.
Solar energy farms are ground mounted solar installations that range in size from 50 kilowatts to thousands of kilowatts. The solar panels are mounted onto a framing system which is installed on the ground. The solar panels use PV technology to convert daylight into electricity. It’s the same technology that powers your calculator.
We plan to include batteries at Stargoose Solar, which allows excess solar electricity to be stored on site and used when the grid needs more power, helping the National Grid better manage their network.
Solar panels produce energy from daylight rather than sunlight, so they continue to produce electricity even when the weather is overcast. With the addition of batteries on site, any electricity produced during the day can be stored and used at any time whenever it’s needed; day or night.
The solar panels are each around 1m by 2.5m in size and are typically up to 3m above the ground depending on terrain and tilted between 10 to 25 degrees.
There have been no reports of impacts on aircraft.
There can be some glint and glare from the panels, but we design and locate them so this is negligible, taking into account the location of properties and the local landscape. Studies show that reflection from vegetation and bare soil can be more significant than from similar areas of solar.
There is some noise generated on site during the construction stage but this is only for a short duration. Once built, there is low level noise from the cabins housing the associated equipment. From the edge of the site, any noise produced will be less than other background noise such as passing traffic, wind and other local sounds.
There are a number of phases. We start with a site feasibility assessment which has already identified the Stargoose Solar site as a suitable place for a solar farm. We then move into a consultation and surveying phase where we gather information and opinions on the proposal. Among other things, we assess the environmental, visual and ecological impact of the site and consult with the local community, the council and relevant public authorities. This information finalises the design and associated reports that are submitted with a planning application. The Local Planning Authority will then follow their processes to determine the application, which concludes with permission either being granted or declined.
If permission is granted, there is then a period of roughly three to six months where the construction contracts are finalised before work on the site is ready to start.
Construction of a solar energy farm typically takes three to eight months. In the first six weeks most of the deliveries take place. After the parts have been delivered to site there are fewer vehicle movements as the site is built and then made operational.
During the construction period, traffic will be routed away from the local villages of Boxworth, Lolworth and Dry Drayton. There will be around 700 deliveries on normal sized trucks to get all components associated with the solar energy farm on site – including all the solar panels themselves, fixings and cables.
The proposed site is two fields on the Childerley Farming Estate totalling 65 hectares. Around one-third of the site will be dedicated for habitat, biodiversity and landscape improvements. The solar energy farm will have a maximum output capacity of 60GWh, which could power up to 18,000 homes every year. This is the average size of most solar farm projects being developed in the UK today.
The project does not rely on any government subsidies. It secures its revenue by trading its electricity either on the market or under contract to suppliers, and by securing contracts to provide electricity management services to the grid.
We will be using a battery energy storage system as part of the Stargoose solar project which will:
Lithium batteries come in a variety of forms. We plan to use Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries which are a different form of battery to those used in personal electronic devices and are easier to manage.
The batteries will be handled under their own safety management plan to ensure that all relevant standards and best practice guidance are covered. This is will be relevant at the time of the system’s design and throughout their operational life, with respect to how they are operated and maintained.
Removing such features goes against the environmental improvements we hope to achieve at the site. We intend to work with the existing land and leave gaps for trees, ponds and hedgerows that are already there with buffers where advised by our ecology partners. We will be undertaking a detailed tree survey to identify the condition of the trees on site and where a tree is not considered to be in a good or safe condition it may be removed.
The agricultural land can be reverted back to agricultural use within a short space of time at the end of the lease period, as the scheme can be completely cleared away restoring the site to its former condition. Sheep farming can continue alongside the solar farm, with the sheep grazing around the panels. Often farmers and landowners welcome the income from the lease and the ability to allow the land to rest.
No widespread levelling of the ground in advance of the installation work is required. There is practically no loss of soil coverage (less than 0.1 per cent) as a result of the solar farm as enough sunlight and rain can get through/between the panels to maintain plant life. Correct and diligent management during the operational period can improve the soil quality through a significant increase in topsoil content, which can become depleted as a result of regular intensive cultivation.
Placing solar farms on flat south-facing land or gentle slopes minimises its appearance in the landscape. Existing natural screening will be left in place and new screening will be planted to reduce the impact of the development on the immediate surrounding landscape and views from the public footpath. A landscape and visual impact assessment will accompany the planning application and will set out in detail the landscape impacts and how they can be minimised.
The site is within Flood Zone 1, as such there is no risk of flooding.
Many solar farm installations around the world are now over 30 years old and still going strong. The Stargoose Solar Energy Farm, if it gets the go-ahead, will have planning permission for 35 years. At the end of its working life, the land can be restored at low financial and environmental costs – in contrast to fossil fuel or nuclear power stations.
The modules and associated plant and equipment will be removed and the site will be returned to its agricultural use.
There are a number of benefits to having a solar energy farm.
Where possible, we try to offer local jobs and supply contracts when we get to the construction, operation and maintenance phase of running our sites. Local suppliers can register their interest in the ‘Have your say’ section of this website.
The project will also contribute business rates to the local council and as part of our ongoing commitment to communities, we offer community grants to support local project and causes.
More broadly we are providing a renewable energy source for future generations, maintaining supply and adding to the UK’ energy security.
Once built, solar energy farms also provide great opportunities for micro-habitats. The variety of dry and wet and shaded and sunny areas, if properly planted and managed, can support a wide variety of wildlife.
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