GRASSCROFT may soon be home to its own small solar farm after planning approval was sought to build one.
And those behind the 22-panel scheme believe it will help environmentally.
Oldham Council has received an approach to erect the farm, which would produce an output of 8.8 kilowatts, close to the homes known as The Rockeries on Mossley Road.
Even though it would technically be on green belt land, it is hoped permission will be given.
For according to documents, the electricity produced would not just benefit the adjoining properties.
They state: “The solar PV system would provide public benefit.
“A portion the electricity it generates but is not utilised (about 25 per cent) will be exported back to the grid and can be utilised by the public.
“This means that the public can also utilise electricity which has been generated by renewable energy, further reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and power stations.
“Additionally, as fossil fuels are responsible the majority of pollution, the solar PV system would reduce air pollution and subsequently improve the health of the surrounding area.
“Installation would thus not solely serve the applicant but would also benefit other households.”
Despite taking up a portion of the land, which also belongs to the property owners, it would hardly be seen if it is allowed.
And rather than detract from the environment around it, it would add to it.
Documents add: “The proposal would still allow continued use of the land and biodiversity would be encouraged around the array.
“At its highest point, the development will be approximately 2.2 metres and therefore will not be highly visible to the surrounding area as there are hedgerows along each boundary providing screening from all angles, as well as neighbouring fields and buildings between the proposed development and any highways.
“The area of land has been specifically chosen to minimise the visual impact on the surrounding area due to the screening from the established hedgerow and trees to the north, south, east and west of the development.
“Siting the development elsewhere would require considerable works to connect the panels back to the community electricity supply, which would prove impractical and expensive.”
The solar farm, which will be removed after a 20-25 year life span, would lie on what is known as the Liverpool, Manchester and West Yorkshire Green Belt.
That means ‘very special circumstances’ need to be demonstrated to justify the granting of planning permission.
But partner firm Geo Green Power believes it can do, stating: “The system does not contribute to the merging of neighbourhoods and indeed we can demonstrate that the solar panels would have a limited impact on the appearance and openness of the Green Belt.
“All the surrounding fields are also within the Green Belt boundary, and the solar PV is only going to take up a proportionally small parcel of land by comparison.
“Additionally, the solar PV array will not be widely visible from the surrounding highways or footpaths and its location has been specifically selected because of this.
“Furthermore, this location has not only been chosen for the minimal visual impact but also to assist in the development having minimal amenity impact.
“The site has been chosen because of the proximity to the private electricity supply to which it will be connected in to, and therefore the reduction in the amount of ancillary infrastructure needed to support the scheme.
“The applicant is eager to support sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint of the dwelling wherever possible.
“Once the PV system is no longer in operation the system will be removed immediately.
“There should be no need for the array to be accessed on foot any more than 4 or 5 times over the duration of the guaranteed period of 20 years.”
Oldham Council’s Planning Committee will decide whether to grant or refuse planning permission.
Complete and utter codswallop and notwithstanding the fact that most if not all the climate hysteria is just that, hysteria but even if it wasn’t this will have no impact on the situation at all , (for example the UK has 2 coal fire power stations whilst china has about 1100 in operation and is building new ones both at home and abroad so is India and so on.)
This is just yet more attrition and another excuse the build an unsightly installation on yet more Green Belt land dressed up in the familiar kind of fake piety and whilst it may be of some mall benefit to a few people, a very few in a narrow and selfish way the greater impact on the rest of us who live in the town and enjoy the countryside will be completely negative.
Flooding, fires, heatwaves, crop failure etc. aren’t ‘hysteria’ they are a reality and a direct result of human-made climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. This is the view of the vast majority of scientists. Things are going to get much worse. According to the International Panel on Climate Change the world has very little time to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide going in to the atmosphere. So I support any attempt to increase the amount of renewable energy. Let’s sort out our own country and not use other countries as an excuse to do nothing.