The solar spread - hundreds of acres south of Bristol to convert to solar farming

The lush green countryside to the south west of Bristol is famous for its orchards and rhynes, but could soon look very different. No fewer than eight different plans for large-scale solar farms have either been approved or are waiting a decision from local council planners, with the fields between Bristol and Clevedon and Weston set for a new role in helping to power the nation’s electricity grid.

Two sites have been awarded planning permission this year, four more are in the pipeline - subject to planning approval - and several more are waiting in the wings with landowners and solar farm developers flagging their intentions by asking the local council if they need an Environmental Impact Assessment, were they to actually submit a planning application.

The most recent plans to be approved were for a solar farm on 75-acres of land near Kewstoke and Sand Bay - just inland from the Pontins Holiday Village to the north of Weston-super-Mare.

Those plans will see the flat land near the Kewstoke Rhyne filled with solar panels which will be enough to generate around 25 GWh a year of renewable energy - enough to power 9,000 homes.

“We are thrilled to be part of this project, which reflects our commitment to delivering clean energy solutions that benefit both local communities and the wider environment,” said solar farm expert Jonathan Bensted, the director of SSW Developments, which is setting up the solar farm. “The development of this 75-acre solar farm demonstrates how businesses and local authorities can collaborate to support a sustainable future. We look forward to the positive impact this project will bring to the region,” he added.

The project is the latest example of a pivot to renewable energy by one of the area’s most famous names. The Mead Group, set up by legendary North Somerset farmer, councillor and writer Derek Mead, is used to driving residential development on land between Bristol and Weston, but is now involved in solar farms too.

Derek’s son Alistair, the managing director of Mead Realisations, said the firm was ‘proud’ to contribute to the growing new industry in North Somerset.

“This project represents a significant milestone for Mead Realisations, and we are proud to contribute to the growing renewable energy sector,” he said. “Working alongside SSW Developments Ltd and Hive Ethical Project Developments Limited has been a fantastic experience, and together we’ve navigated the challenges to bring this vision to reality.

“This 75-acre solar farm will be instrumental in reducing carbon emissions and supporting the UK’s green energy future. We also extend our gratitude to the North Somerset Planning team for their invaluable support throughout the process,” he added.

The Sand Bay solar farm is by no means the only one happening or proposed in the fields between Weston and Bristol.

Earlier this year, North Somerset planners approved a much bigger solar farm at Yanel Farm, north of Sandford. This one, which will be more than 165 acres, will be very visible for anyone walking or riding down the Strawberry Line, the old railway track from Yatton to Cheddar that has become a popular leisure route. The solar farm, which planners gave permission to in April, will be located on both sides of the Strawberry Line, just north of the Thatcher’s Cider orchards.

The solar farm spread is controversial, with many in support and many against. A solar farm is proposed at Brinsea Green Farm, between Langford and Congresbury, and is yet to be decided by North Somerset’s planners - but the application has had more than 60 letters of support.

On the other side of Langford, next to the famous Bristol Vet School, developers have applied for permission for another solar farm at Bakers Lane, between Langford and Wrington, which will cover an even bigger area than the one down the road at Sandford.

This one will cover 88 hectares, or 217 acres - almost three times the size of the large site at Sand Bay.

Nearer Weston, there are two proposals for large solar farms around the village of Hewish - one at New Orchard Farm, and the other at Manor Farm. In 2022 and 2023, planners were asked whether or not an Environmental Impact Assessment would be required if a full planning application was submitted, and the developers were told that they wouldn’t be - but no actual application has yet been submitted.

But perhaps the most controversial solar farm proposal so far - and the biggest - is on land near Bristol Airport. The site at Wrington Hill is actually two large sites, close to the Goblin Combe nature reserve. The proposal is to cover the fields south of that woodland, which is visible to thousands of passengers taking off and landing at the airport each day, in solar panels.

Residents in Redhill and Wrington are already coping with the expansion of Bristol Airport, and many have said the solar farm proposal would leave them feeling ‘boxed in’.

The Wrington Hill solar farm is the largest proposed in the area south of Bristol, with 115 hectares, or nearly 285 acres, of land between Wrington and the western end of Bristol Airport’s runway involved. Planning permission for this will be controversial, but as yet, an application has not been formally submitted. The developers asked North Somerset Council whether an EIA would be required and, unlike on the relatively featureless flat wetlands nearer the coast at Sand Bay, Hewish and Churchill, this time the planners said an assessment of the impact on the environment would be required.