Lightsource bp to hold community consultation event for new Gammaton Moor solar installation proposal

Lightsource bp, a global leader in the development and management of solar energy projects, will be outlining their proposal to fund, develop and build a 32MW solar installation on 137 acres of land at Webbery Barton and Cleave Farms, Gammaton Moor, at a virtual community information event on Thursday 29th October. Lightsource bp is inviting residents from the surrounding area to attend the online event, where further information will be made available on the proposal, which would be located close to the existing Cleave Farm solar installation built by Lightsource bp in 2013.

The team are aware that not everyone has access to the internet, and encourages those who are unable to join the online session to call 0333 200 0755 or write to the Environmental Planning & Sustainability Team, at Lightsource bp, 7th floor 33 Holborn, London, E1CN 2HU.

The community information event will be held online on Thursday 29th October starting from 7.30pm, and interested parties can join via the following link: https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/txqjckfj . The Lightsource bp team will show a brief video outlining the proposal for the solar project, and will then take Q&A to answer any queries and gather feedback from the local community.

The proposed Gammaton Moor solar installation will provide enough clean renewable energy to 9,200 homes, saving 9,420 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of taking 2,090 large family cars off the roads. This project is a key facet of Lightsource bp’s mission to rapidly accelerate the transition to a low carbon future.
Lightsource bp is committed to supporting the rural economy and benefitting local communities, and this site has been designed with these priorities in mind. Wide grassy avenues will be left between the rows of solar panels, to reduce shading and optimise the amount of sunlight each row of panels receives. This will leave around 70% of the solar installation as open grassland, ideal for grazing livestock.

As well as generating clean energy and maintaining agricultural use, Lightsource bp is proposing enhancement measures that will make sure the project delivers a net biodiversity gain. A bespoke Biodiversity Management Plan will be developed as part of the planning application to enhance habitat for local wildlife. We will plant new trees and hedgerows, and sow a botanically diverse grassland seed mix, all of which provide favourable habitat conditions for a range of species, including amphibians, small mammals, birds and invertebrates.

The proposed fields have been chosen because they are well-screened by local topography which would limit any surrounding views of the solar installation.

Penny Laurenson, Director of Environmental Planning and Sustainability, Lightsource bp said:

“Solar energy is not only clean and renewable, but it also generates locally-produced electricity. This makes solar an important part of meeting the global rise in energy demand efficiently and more sustainably, which is a core aspect of Lightsource bp’s sustainability mission.

Safety is one of our core values, and in order to keep to the standards of community engagement that we’ve set as a company in the current global situation, we’re replacing our physical community consultation with an online Q&A session where the local community can obtain all necessary information about our proposals and provide feedback. We want to ensure that local communities in and around the proposed location have all the information they need about this project.”

Residents can obtain further information on the project, at any time, by getting in touch with the Lightsource bp team via info@lightsourcebp.com quoting “Gammaton Moor”, calling 0333 200 0755 or writing to “Environmental Planning & Sustainability Team, Lightsource bp, 7th Floor, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HU”.