Why this location?
We have carefully considered the best location for the energy park, both operationally and in terms of reducing impacts on the community and environment.
There are many factors which make this site ideal for a solar farm.
Sunlight and site location
The area provides an optimal area for solar development. In fact, the south coast has around 10 per cent more solar irradiance (the measure of the sun’s intensity over a given area) than other parts of the county. The land north and east of Newchurch is flat and provides good levels of sunshine all year – ideal conditions for solar PV modules.
Distance of site to dwellings
The site is situated in a rural area. As we develop our detailed design, we will work to place the PV modules and battery systems where they are less visible from neighbouring homes and businesses. We’ll also consider suitable planting and other natural barriers to provide screening. We’re committed to designing the scheme sensitively to minimise impacts on local residents.
Grid connection
The site is located near to the existing Dungeness to Sellindge overhead line corridor. We’ll work closely with National Grid and will then identify the proposed new NGET substation, and will then identify a suitable ‘cable route corridor’ in order to connect into this.
Assessing our environmental impact
We’re committed to doing all we can to avoid, reduce and mitigate the impacts of our proposals on the environment.
We’re currently gathering extensive environmental information to identify and assess the likely significant effects of the scheme.
This forms part of our Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
While the site is approximately 406.1 hectares (ha), not all of the land within the site will be developed.
Within the boundary, we’ll also include:
- ‘No build’ buffer zones offsetting panels nearest the field edge, particularly in areas close to residential or commercial properties.
- Identified areas that have potential to be used for landscaping, habitat enhancement and bio-diversity net gain.
- Consideration for existing public rights of way that cross the site.
We are also carrying out a landscape and visual impact assessment to assess the impacts of the scheme and this, along with your feedback to this consultation, will help us further refine the proposed layout.