Community consultation event announced for proposed Lawns Farm solar installation

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 20MW solar installation on 69 acres of land at Lawns Farm, Ballam Road, Lytham St Annes, FY8 4NG, at an online Q&A session on Wednesday 30th June at 7:30pm. Lightsource bp is inviting residents from the surrounding area to join the session via the internet, where further information will be made available on the proposals.

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 Wednesday 30th June, starting from 7.30pm, and interested parties can join via the following link: https://www.lightsourcebp.com/uk/projects/lawns-farm. The Lightsource bp team will show a brief video outlining the proposals for the solar project and will host a Q&A to answer any queries and gather feedback from the local community.

The proposed solar installation will provide enough clean renewable energy to power 7,674 homes, saving 6,171 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of taking 3,402 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.

As well as generating clean energy, Lightsource bp solar installations are designed so that they also act as a haven for local wildlife. A bespoke Biodiversity Management Plan will be developed in conjunction with the planning application, and this will ensure that the plan enhances the site as much as possible for local wildlife. As part of this initiative, our planting, seeding and habitat creation plans will focus on native species.

Lightsource bp is also eager to hear from wildlife enthusiasts and local schools who may be interested in playing a role in the ongoing monitoring of wildlife on the site, as part of the company’s drive to contribute positively to all the communities it serves.

The proposed layout for the solar installation at Lawns Farm has been designed so that most of the open grassland on the site will be suitable for grazing small livestock, allowing the land to retain the potential for agricultural use. The proposed fields have been chosen because they are well screened by established vegetation and woodlands, 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 ‘’Lawns Farm’, calling 0333 200 0755 or writing to “Environmental Planning & Sustainability Team, Lightsource bp, 7th Floor, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HU”.