Agenda item

To consider an update on the delivery of solar farms within the Climate Emergency Action Plan (in addition to the Barkham Solar Farm).

The Committee considered a report, set out at the supplementary Agenda pages 11 to 14, which provided an update on the delivery of solar farms within the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP).

Sara Kerr (Executive Member for Climate Emergency and Residents Services) introduced the report.

The report confirmed that the CEAP update report, submitted to Council in September 2022, included a commitment to deliver two solar farms by 2030. This represented a change to the initial CEAP (2020) which included a commitment to deliver five solar farms in five years. It was noted that the original CEAP targets were aspirational. Subsequent feasibility and financial studies had resulted in a reduction in the number of proposed solar farms in order to ensure that the projects were practically deliverable and based around Government targets. The latest target of two solar farms, approved by Council in 2022, would deliver carbon savings of 14,058 tCO2e, with a combined cost of £50m. The reduced number of solar farms was informed by the financial and feasibility data generated by the Barkham Solar Farm project.

The report noted that timing and deliverability of solar farms was influenced by the availability of sites in WBC ownership and connections into the grid. SSEN were currently working to a four year minimum standard for grid connections. Initial feasibility work was currently under way on two owned by WBC in the Borough. A feasibility report was expected later in 2023.

In the ensuing discussion, Members raised the following points:

The reduction in solar farms in the CEAP from five to two meant less carbon savings and less income for the Council. Was there not an argument for pressing ahead with more solar farms on financial/environmental grounds? It was conformed that the CEAP targets were based on what was realistic and achievable. If the feasibility studies indicate that more solar farms could be delivered, that was an option which could be pursued. There were other, smaller scale, renewable energy projects which should also be considered in addition to the solar farms.

One issue was the availability of land for development of solar farms. If the Council did not own sufficient land, could it buy land for this purpose? It was confirmed that the purchase of land was not currently an option. Other factors included the capacity of officer teams who were also working on other key projects.

There appeared to be an inconsistency between this report and the earlier report on the Barkham Solar Farm. The latter appeared to be more positive whilst this report emphasised the constraints on the development of further solar farms. It was confirmed that the original target of five solar farms (2020) had been aspirational. The current target was more prudent and reflected that fact that the CEAP was a living document. Further updates would be provided to Members in due course as the feasibility work on further solar farms progressed.

RESOLVED That:

1)     Sarah Kerr and the attending officers be thanked for presenting the report and answering Member questions;

2)     the rational for reducing the number of solar farms in the CEAP from five to two be noted;

3)     further updates be submitted to the Committee in due course as part of the annual CEAP update.