The Droves Solar Farm

Access to existing public rights of way will be maintained. We will also aim to make improvements near the site based on the feedback from our consultation. This will help ensure that communities can continue to access and enjoy the local environment and its amenities.

Our appointed ecology team is currently carrying out comprehensive habitat and species surveys to identify any potential biodiversity impacts of the project. These surveys include, but are not limited to, local ecology, birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and badgers.

Research has shown that ground-mounted solar projects provide major environmental benefits. They provide renewable, low-carbon energy that is good for the planet, while also directly improving local biodiversity by creating new habitats for wildlife and enabling plant life to grow around the panels over time. This compares to the impact of harvesting crops yearly.

The project will be designed to minimise impact on ecological features through their retention and enhancement. New planting would support a diverse range of critical invertebrate species and encourage new species to colonise the margins of the site.

There are potential further opportunities for habitat creation though the implementation of additional wildlife corridors and the installation of bat and bird nesting boxes, hibernacula, woodpiles, and beehives within the margins of the site.

As part of a cultural heritage assessment, we are undertaking archaeological surveys for the project, which we will submit to the Councils’ Archaeologists.

This will provide the information we need to assess if there are any impacts, influence the design of the solar farm and identify an appropriate mitigation strategy if required.